Homemade Portugese Style Chicken Soup Recipe-Heart Healthy

White Beans, Canadian Bacon, Shallots, and Garlic add tremendous flavor to this Portugese Style Chicken Soup.

Any good Chicken Soup, just needs a good Chicken Soup Base…

This makes a hearty meal in a bowl when served with corn bread. Plan ahead to soak the beans overnight or save yourself some time and used drained canned beans. If you use canned beans( remember that it will contain salt and the possibility of “BPA”), reduce the simmering time to 15 minutes and add the beans along with the chicken and bacon at the end.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Ingredients:

Note: I cook my chicken first and save the chicken broth to cook my beans in. Strain your both first. If I need more liquid just add water. That gives me a good chicken soup base.

• 1 pound dried white beans, such as white kidney (cannellini) or great Northern, rinsed and picked over

• 1/2 pound Canadian bacon, cut into 1/2-inch wide pieces (you can use regular bacon but the Canadian has a special flavor, why skimp)
• 2 cups small diced white onions

• 1/2 cup small diced celery (I always use some of the leaves-cut up-for flavor)

• 2 Tablespoons minced shallots

• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt (omit if on a salt free diet…you really don’t need salt…I use garlic powder instead as it is a natural diaretic as well, just use less.)

• 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

• 2 quarts chicken stock or canned low sodium chicken broth

• 3/4 pound diced cooked chicken (use legs for protein collagens)

• 1 cup freshly grated Romano cheese

Preparation:
Put the beans into a large pot or bowl.

• Add water to cover by 2 inches and soak for at least 8 hours or overnight.

• Then drain. (For a quick soak, bring the beans and water to a boil over high heat and cook for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to stand for 1 hour. Drain.)

• Fry the bacon in a cast iron stockpot over medium high heat until crisp, about 7 minutes.  Drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pot. Save the remaining bacon grease for a rainy day recipe.

• Add the onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes or the onions are transparent.

• Add the shallots, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and cayenne. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots soften, about 1 minute.

• Add the beans to the pot with the stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low.

• Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 1-1/2 hours.

Stir in the chicken and the reserved bacon and heat through. Remove from heat and discard the bay leaves.

Serve:

• Ladle into warm bowls

• Sprinkle with the grated cheese.

• Serve Southern Style with hot buttered corn bread and a smile.

Yields:

• 8 to 12 servings

If there is any left over, freeze for Chicken Bean Dip mixture…just puree and add some sour cream and some hot sauce, for a football game night.

Bon Appetit

~The Baby Boomer Queen~

Here are some Mediterranean Cook Books and some great Kitchen Gadgets to look over…

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