There's actually a more traditional version that goes like the following. Soak in lukewarm water a quart of dry beans, lentils, or peas, drain and put them in a crockery kettle, with two leeks, half a head of celery, two middling sized onions, one carrot, two cloves, salt and pepper, half a pound of bacon, and some butter; cover entirely with cold broth, set on the fire and boil gently till the whole is well cooked; then take from the fire, throw away the cloves, put the bacon aside, mash the beans and seasonings, strain them, and put back in the kettle with the broth in which they have been cooked; in case there should net be enough to cover the shoe, add a little to it, set again on the fire, stir, give one boil, pour on some croutons and server. I kinda followed more like this over a Big Green Egg "fire". I also put in some Bay leaves.

ingredients

  • 2 leeks
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 2 medium onions
  • 1 carrot
  • 2 15oz cans fava beans
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 6 cups beef broth
  • ½ lb bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
  • salt and pepper

directions

1. To clean the leeks, cut the roots off just above the base. Cut off the tough, dark green top of the leek, and discard or save for making vegetable stock. Slice the stalk in half lengthwise and rinse, fanning the leaves out to remove the dirt. Slide the leeks into thin crescents, and put into a bowl of water. Swirl the leeks in the water to remove zany sediment. Remove the leeks and allow to drain on a towel.
2. Chop the celery, onions and carrot into small chunks
3. Combine all the ingredients except the bacon in a large pot. Add the broth and as much water as needed to cover everything. Simmer over medium heat for about 1 hour, keeping an eye on the level of the liquid, and adding water if needed
4. When all the vegetables have gone soft, ladle out some of the extra broth and reserve it. Remove the cloves.
5. Mash the soup with a potato masher until there are no whole beans remaining. Don't be tempted to puree it with a modern device; this would ruin the rugged authenticity. If you want a thinner soup, add some of the reserved broth back in until you get the desired consistency.
6. Add the bacon, stir to incorporate, and serve.

Categories

Soups

source

Feast of Ice and Fire

servings/yield

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rating

difficulty