White Bean Chowder

I had several requests for this recipe so I thought I might as well put it up on my blog for everyone to enjoy!

The original recipe can be found here. I double the original recipe when I make it and have tweaked it to look like the following:

Ingredients -

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3 Slices Bacon, Diced

1 Large Onion, Diced

2 Celery Stalks, Diced

2 Large Carrots, Diced

1/2 of a Red or Green Bell Pepper, Diced

6 Cloves Garlic, Minced

3 Tablespoons Flour (I use Oat or Brown Rice to make this Gluten Free.)

6 Cups Chicken Broth

2-3 Fresh Tomatoes, Diced

2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

2 Bay Leaves

1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

4 Teaspoons Dried Parsley

3 (15 oz.) Cans Cannellini Beans, Rinsed and Drained

6 Tablespoons Heavy Cream

Cooking Directions -

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat; add the bacon and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and bell pepper and cook until starting to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, stir in the garlic and cook 2 minutes, then stir in the flour and cook 2 minutes more.

Add the chicken broth, tomato, tomato paste, bay leaves, oregano, salt, pepper, parsley, and beans and bring to a boil; turn the heat down and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Mash a few of the beans against the side of the pot if you want a thicker soup. (I do this quite a bit as I like thick soup.)

Remove the bay leaves and stir in the heavy cream. Simmer a few more minutes until heated through. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired; serve. 

I serve this with shredded cheddar cheese and/or parmesan cheese which is a nice addition to the top of each hot bowl of soup. :) Enjoy!!