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Smoky Winter Stew
A quick and simple stew with bacon providing a rich and smoky flavour. It will fill bellies and warm hearts on mid-week winter nights.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 500g Middle Bacon, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup plain flour
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 3 x 400g tins of cannellini beans, drained
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups chopped English spinach or kale
Method
- Heat a large soup pot over medium heat and add the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crispy.
- Remove the bacon, transfer to paper towel to absorb the grease and set aside.
- Keeping the bacon grease in the pot, turn the heat to hot and add into in the carrots, onions and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Add the flour and stir, cooking for another minute.
- Slowly pour 2 cups of chicken stock into the pot, stirring constantly. Stir until the mixture creates a thick gravy. Add the remainder of the stock, the beans and the bay leaf.
- Bring to the soup to the boil and cook for 10 minutes. Then remove the bay leaf, add the spinach or kale and remove from the heat.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes, then add in the cooked bacon pieces, stirring through.
- Serve with fresh crusty bread.