Hearty Bean Chowder

A meal in itself. This recipe could easily be made meatless. I sometimes serve it over rice for a whole meal, or by itself as a hearty soup.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr
• Total Time: 2 hr 30 mins
• Calories: 314 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 2 cups water
• salt to taste
• ⅛ cup all-purpose flour
• 6 slices bacon
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, undrained
• ½ tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 (15 ounce) cans white beans, drained

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

In a large pot over medium high heat, saute the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and some of the fat; drain and set aside. Keep about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot, add the flour and stir well to form a roux. Heat the roux until it is a dark brownish color, about 5 minutes.

Step 2

Add the onions, celery, sesame oil and carrots to the roux and saute for 2 minutes, stirring well. Add the garlic and heat for 2 more minutes. Add the water and stir well. Finally, add the white beans, black beans, cayenne pepper to taste and ground black pepper to taste.

Step 3

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 2 hours, or until the vegetables and beans are tender and the soup is the consistency you want. If the veggies aren't tender but its too thick, you can always add more water. Return the bacon to the soup and season with salt to taste.