This wildly inexpensive and simple soup is so deeply satisfying and luxurious-tasting that it can make a perfectly lovely meal on its own. If I’m having company over, I serve it with spinach-cranberry salad and crusty sourdough rolls.
Ingredients
- 2 15-oz. cans white beans $3
- 1 small leek, ends removed and sliced (reserve a few slices for garnish) $0.50
- 2 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped $1
- 1/8 cup half-and-half $1.50 for a pint
- salt and pepper to taste Pantry
Recipe Serves 2-4
Directions
- Combine beans, leek slices, bacon, and 1 cup water in a soup pot. Cover tightly and cook over medium-high heat for 15 minutes or until leeks are soft and fragrant. Puree using an immersion blender, regular blender or food processor. Stir in half-and-half and salt and pepper to taste (make sure to taste it as the bacon provides a fair amount of salt).
- Cook for another 5 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring frequently.
- Serve garnished with leek slices.
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What They're Saying
Erica, on Nov 4, 05:36 AM, wrote:
Looks good. Love soup recipes. Just one question. I have never cooked with Leeks. Are you using the green tops for the soup or the white part? Can’t wait to try it.
la petite chef, on Nov 6, 10:21 AM, wrote:
Just stumbled upon your site and it’s awesome! Very creative and great pictures!
Michael, on Nov 6, 10:39 AM, wrote:
drain beans or no?
Whitney, on Nov 9, 06:45 PM, wrote:
I used the white part of the leeks, and drained and rinsed the beans… Turned out delicious! It was really thick after pureeing, more like a dip than a soup, so I thinned it with some chicken stock… didn’t have any cream so finished with a little bit of milk and butter. So easy and quick, I’ll make this again but double the recipe next time.
Stephanie, on Nov 12, 07:43 PM, wrote:
This was so easy to make, turned out delicious, and felt really gourmet. My husband and I gobbled it up with some bread from Arizmendi. I’m definitely going to need an immersion blender if I am going to make pureed soups more often, because transferring to my regular blender and then back into the pot was very messy and made more dishes to clean.
Great recipe! I will be back for more.
George, on Oct 4, 02:06 PM, wrote:
I’ll suggest you fry the bacon in the pot first, get some of that fat rendered out of it and add the leaks to cook in the fat for a few minutes to sweeten them up.
You could add milk and thicken with a roux, a little flour and water mixture, a little cheaper and less fatty too. A little more milk and stretch it a bit. If you don’t have the beans, throw in a few diced potatoes, maybe chicken stock, hey, now we’re up to potato leek soup, cool it and it’s vichyssoise! Now you’re cookin’!Amanda, on Jan 3, 08:38 AM, wrote:
My hubby bought me your cookbook for my birthday. This was my first recipe from it and it was YUMMY!! Even my picky hubby thought it was Top Chef worthy! Thanks!!
For those asking- I drained and rinsed the beans and used the white and a little bit of the light green part of the leek.