In spite of the unusually poor tomato season this summer (mild summer translates into not enough heat for their ripening) we have still managed a bountiful harvest from our garden. And while the taste of our raw garden tomatoes might be oddly unspectacular at the moment, they still cook up into something wonderful.
Of course, in our book everything is better with bacon, which is probably why we like this soup so much. Yukon Gold potatoes are preferred because they hold their shape well and don’t disintegrate into the soup the way Russets can.
Tomato, White Bean, Bacon Soup Recipe
We've used canned white beans here for their convenience. If you want you can take this soup up a notch and use dry beans that you've soaked overnight and cooked until soft.
Ingredients
- 1/4 pound bacon, diced
- 1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups peeled (about 3/4 lb), chopped potatoes (recommend Yukon Gold)
- 6 cups peeled, chopped fresh tomatoes (or canned whole tomatoes with juice)*
- 2 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1 15-ounce can white beans, drained
- Salt and pepper to taste
* To peel fresh tomatoes, cut a shallow cross on one end, blanch in boiling water for about 30 seconds, remove from boiling water and the peels should easily come off.
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