Now that we have a legit chill in the air, we are ready to keep the home fires burning…and tummies full and warm…with a slew of soups and stews.  From the Boozy Stew we posted last week to many others from light to hearty, we plan to share ’em all.  ‘Cause, again…that’s how a belle rolls.

This one in particular can swing from totally healthy and vegan to a super hearty version with chicken…your choice.

The ingredients:

2 T olive oil, 4 cloves garlic, 1 leek, 1/2 lb carrots, 4 stalks celery, 1 lb dried navy beans, 1 bay leaf, 2 med stalks rosemary, 3-4 sprigs thyme, 1/2 t smoked paprika, 1/2 t black pepper, 1 1/2 t salt, *diced rotisserie chicken (optional)

Rinse beans, sorting to remove any debris.

Assemble a bouquet garni using rosemary, thyme and bay leaf.

Trim and prepare to slice veggies.

Soak sliced leeks in water to clean (yucky stuff falls to the bottom of the bowl)

place all ingredients in slow cooker with 6 cups water.  Place lid on cooker and set for 8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.

Once done, stir the soup, mashing the beans slightly to make a creamy base.

The finished product…

Easy…and belleicious!

Now for the whole recipe in a screen-shotable list…

The Belles’ White Bean Soup

2 T olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 leek, sliced

½ lb carrots, sliced

4 stalks celery, sliced

1 lb dried navy beans

1 bay leaf

2 med stalks rosemary

3-4 sprigs thyme

½ t smoked paprika

½ t black pepper

1 ½ t salt

diced rotisserie chicken (optional)

Rinse beans, sorting to remove any debris.  Assemble a bouquet garni using rosemary, thyme and bay leaf.  Wash, trim, and slice veggies.  Place all ingredients in slow cooker with 6 cups water.  Cover and cook on low 8 hours or on high 4-5 hours.  When done, stir soup and mash beans slights to add a creamy texture.

PS:  Guests coming next week for the holiday?  This would be an excellent “night-before” meal!  Just sayin’

Enjoy!
a&a

*chicken is delish in this soup, but not necessary…totally convenient for our vegan friends