Cabbage Soup with Bacon, Potatoes and White Beans

I came up with this recipe because I had half of a head of a large cabbage in my crisper drawer and some delicious thick-cut pepper bacon Dan had brought home awhile back. We were having one of those epic Pacific Northwwest rainstorms and I wanted to make something to warm our bellies. I love this kind of food, it's so hearty and comforting.

Cabbage Soup with Bacon, Potatoes and White Beans

~serves about 6-8~

What you'll need:

1 T. olive oil

8 oz. thick cut bacon, diced

2 onions, finely chopped

12 oz. carrots, peeled and chopped

1 t. dried thyme

2 lg. (about 1 1/2 lb.) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-3/4 inch dice

15 oz. can of cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 of a large head (or 1small head) of cabbage, coarsely chopped

4 c. low-sodium chicken broth

4 c. water

What you do:

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Leaving about 1 T. drippings in the pot, add onions, carrots and thyme and cook until onions are softened, about 5 minutes or so. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and simmer about an hour, until vegetables are tender.

Moroccan Chickpea and Vegetable Soup

Uncle! I am officially crying uncle today. Somebody get me some wholesome food, STAT!

I  think I have an Easter goodies hangover.

My mom makes the most ridiculously delicious baked beans. Basically, what she does is take a couple of cans of baked beans and adds 1 1/2 packages (count them) of bacon that she cooks and crumbles. Then she adds in cooked onions, garlic powder, a good squeeze of ketchup and lets the whole things cook together on the stove top for a while. It is ridiculous!

I wish sometimes I were one of those people who could add 1 1/2 packages of bacon to something I'm cooking and not think there's something naughty about it.

But I should be glad I'm not the kind of person who does that, my waistline would not be very happy with me.

However, I am the kind of person who at holiday meal says to myself, "I never eat stuff like this at home, so it's okay if I have second and thirds and fourths, it's allll goood!"

Plus I'm pretty sure that in my household of four I ranked second when it came to who ate the most Easter candy.

By the end of the night last night I was somewhere between diabetic shock and becoming a human salt-lick.

I felt the need to atone for my evil ways today.

Moroccan Chickpea and Vegetable Soup

~serves 6~

Ingredients:

1 T. canola oil

1 onion, minced

1 t. sugar

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 t. paprika

1/4 t. saffron threads, crumbled

1/4 t. ground ginger

1/4 t. cumin

1/8 t. cayenne pepper

2 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas, rinsed

1 lb. yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 medium carrot, rough chopped

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

4 c. low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

3 c. baby spinach leaves, rough chopped (about 1/2 a 6 oz. package)

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

lemon wedges, for serving

salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the onion and sugar, cook stirring often until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add in the garlic, paprika, saffron, ginger, cumin and cayenne pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

3. Add the chickpeas, potatoes, carrot, tomatoes (undrained) and broth. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium. Partially cover the pot and simmer until the potato and carrot are tender, about 20 minutes. 

4. Add zucchini and spinach. Cook until the zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes. Using the back of a wooden spoon, smash some of the chickpeas and potatoes up against the side of the dutch oven. This will thicken up the soup. Season with salt and pepper. 

5. Ladle into soup bowl, sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Recipe adapted from: The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook