I am so fortunate.  Hubby is a soup lover just as I am which makes meal planning a fairly easy task at my house.  There’s seldom a week that goes by during fall or winter that soup is not on the table at least once during the week.  Today was just one of those gray, damp days that begged for a big pot of hearty, savory soup.  But it was a busy day with no time to stand over a soup pot or visit the grocery.  What to do?  The result was this oh-so-good-you-gotta’-make-it-now Smoky Tuscan White Bean Soup.

Upon inspection of the pantry, I knew.  I’m a firm believer in a pantry that keeps certain items always stocked: broth varieties, dry beans, pasta, tomato varieties to be sure.  I can create a decent soup from those ingredients any day, and you can as well.  This time of the year I usually have several squash and potato varieties hanging out in the pantry as well because…well, ya’ never know when they just might be needed, right?

And my freezer?  I’ve been trying to use up what I have stored there since holiday  is coming up quickly, and I need all the space I can to freeze batches of Gary’s Favorite Pumpkin Bread.  If you’ve read the tale of the pumpkin bread, you’ll know why I really need LOTS of freezer space for that.  Plus, this is an election year after all.  Hubby loves passing out that bread every year, but he really, truly gets a huge kick out of doing so during the election season.

Are you a registered voter in our county?  Do you love, love the best pumpkin bread ever?  Drop me a comment.

Where was I?  Oh, the freezer.  I remember that I had several packages of smoked brisket and pork that Hubby had finely chopped and that were just needing to be used.  Out came one of those bags.  The smokiness of the meat adds such a depth of flavor to so many dishes.  I “encourage” Hubby to keep us well stocked.  It’s not had since he has an ongoing fling with his Cookshack electric smoker.

And I ALWAYS have cheese and bacon.  Aren’t those part of the minimum daily requirements?  I thought so.

You know I love my Fagor pressure cooker, but today I decided upon my trusty Crock-pot slow cooker (I have tons of slow cooker recipes) instead.  I’m actually a huge fan of both and would be hard pressed to choose between the two if I had to do that.  

I hope you are planning a fun, family time for your Thanksgiving next week.  Hubby and I are planning a little trip, and I am so ready (mentally that is).  Leftover turkey (smoked if you can) is awesome in this soup.  I hope you’ll make plans to fix up a big pot of it soon.  You’ll be writing me a fan letter.  Or you may even think about moving here so you can vote for Hubby. (Soup.  Pumpkin bread.  We treat you right!)

Don’t forget that I have a giveaway starting this week that you’ll definitely want to enter.  It just might have something to do with a blogger named Ree.  

Slow Cooker Smoky Tuscan White Bean Soup

2013-11-21 07:07:11

Serves 6

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Ingredients

1. 1 pound dried white beans (preferably navy also known as cannellini), rinsed and drained
2. 1 large onion, chopped
3. 3 stalks celery, diced
4. 2 carrots, peeled and diced
5. 3 cloves roasted garlic
6. 1 fennel bulb, finely chopped, optional
7. 1 bay leaf
8. 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
9. 1 Tablespoon poultry seasoning or: 2 sage leaves and 1 teaspoon ground oregano
10. 1 5 - 6 stem fresh rosemary
11. 2 teaspoons ground chipotle pepper, or less as desired
12. 2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke, hickory flavor
13. 1 container chicken stock concentrate (I use Knorr.)
14. 32 ounces low-salt chicken broth
15. rind of parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano, optional
16. 1 10-ounce can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies (We prefer hot.)
17. 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
18. 2 cups cubed butternut squash, optional
19. 2 cups finely chopped, smoked ham, pork or beef
20. shaved parmesan for garnish
21. diced, crispy bacon or pancetta for garnish
22. Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place the beans in the crock of the slow cooker along with the onion, celery, carrots, herbs, seasonings stock concentrate, broth, the cheese rind and the Rotel. Add at least two inches of water to the crock so that the beans are fully covered. More water may be added as needed.
2. Stir in the kosher salt.
3. Cover and cook on LOW approximately 10 hours or HIGH 6-7 hours. The time will depend, in part, on the age of the beans. Older beans will be harder and take longer to cook. Check liquid occasionally as the beans absorb the liquid.
4. About 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving, stir in cubed squash and smoked meat and adjust seasonings. Remove the bay leaf and rosemary stem.
5. Garnish with shaved Parmesan.

Notes

1. You can substitute a package of Pictsweet seasoning blend for the onion, celery and carrots if you prefer.
2. We prefer out soup not blended. However if you prefer a smoother soup, prior to adding the smoked meat remove approximately 2 cups of the beans along with some of the broth and blend. Return the smooth mixture to the slow cooker and stir. Alternatively, use and immersion blender.

Adapted from The Best Soups in the World, Clifford Wright and Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Family Favorites, Beth Hensperger

Adapted from The Best Soups in the World, Clifford Wright and Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Family Favorites, Beth Hensperger

Dining With Debbie https://diningwithdebbie.net/