For the past 3 weeks, we’ve been enduring the rain. I’ve decided to go with the flow and make SOUP! Yes, I’m feeling the warmth of the broth and the zing of the red pepper flakes! I had to do something to get the blue sky back, and cooking does it for me! I bought some of the best organic THICK bacon I’ve ever eaten and decided to stray from my golden path of no legumes and combine this delicious bacon with red, black, garbanzo, and pinto beans fortified with kale. Normally, I prefer using dried beans. I use 1/4 cup of each and cook them in a crockpot until about 4 to 7 hours. Since we were camping, I used organic canned beans with no salt. Although this makes enough for 8 servings, we managed to devour it in two meals between our big crew!!!
BACON BEAN KALE SOUP
Ingredients
- 10-12 strips thick organic bacon cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium red or white onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 cup organic red beans drained
- 1 cup organic garbanzo beans drained
- 1 cup organic pinto beans drained
- 1 cup organic black beans drained
- 1 large potato skin on & cut into 2 in pieces
- 1-2 fresh tomatoes diced
- 8 oz kale cleaned and chopped
- 2 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1-3 tsp red pepper flakes
- 32 oz organic chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp Cick'n Chicken Spice Check out my recipe or storebought
Directions
- Step 1 Fry the bacon in a large soup pot. Usually, organic bacon does not have a lot of fat so you may have to add some coconut or avocado oil.
- Step 2 Add the garlic and onion. Sauté for 4-6 minutes. Do not drain the fat/oil.
- Step 3 Add the remaining ingredients to the pot of sautéed bacon, onions, and garlic.
- Step 4 Simmer on the stovetop for 1 hour. Serve with your favorite hot sauce if you want a real zing!
- Step 5 Tip: This is so simple, and if you’re going to have a busy day, prep this in the morning and place it in your crockpot on low. Your dinner or starter will be waiting for you when you return…or maybe even dinner for two nights like us!
I'm Melinda Stevens and living the life of a beach bum was inevitable since my father was a lifeguard for the city of Los Angeles. My memories of growing up on John Street in Manhattan Beach, California were filled with joy, excitement and adventures; until my world, as I knew it, fell apart when we moved to Del Mar, California. My father was offered the position as Captain of the lifeguards and we started the slow migration to the small deserted stretch of beach in 1963. At twelve years old, this seemed like the end of my life. Remember, I’m writing with clear hindsight now, ok somewhat clearer… Little did I know this would be the beginning of a new journey and give a bit more clarity to many of the events that led me to this new cooking adventure.