3540. CREAMY ONION BACON SOUP

serves four


3 strips uncooked bacon
1 medium yellow onion (about 8 ounces), chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried chives
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Add bacon to a large pot or Dutch oven and turn the heat on to medium. Once the bacon starts cooking, cook on one side for a few minutes until crispy then flip and finish cooking the other side. Remove the bacon and place on a plate lined with a paper towel; pat off as much grease as you can. When cool enough to handle, crumble bacon. Leave the bacon drippings in the pot.

Add the onion to the bacon drippings and cook until soft, stirring often, about 10-12 minutes.

Add the flour, chives, and salt to the cooked onions. Gradually stir in the broth. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Once boiling, cook for 5 minutes until the broth starts to thicken slightly. Add the cream, cheese, and crumbled bacon. Cook another 1-2 minutes then serve immediately. 


bacon recipe source: Carla Cardello, Chocolate Moosey (@chocolatemoosey), October 13, 2014

3578. ONION SOUP with BACON, WINTER HERBS and GRUYERE

serves six


6 oz. (185 grams) applewood-smoked bacon, cut into 1/4-inch (6-mm) pieces

3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup (3 fl. oz) dry white wine
8 cups beef broth
1 bay leaf
1 large sprig rosemary, plus 1/2 teaspoon minced
1 large sprig fresh sage, plus 1/2 teaspoon minced
1 large sprig fresh thyme, plus 1/2 teaspoon minced
18 thin slices baguette, toasted
3/4 cup (3 oz) shredded Gruyere cheese

In a large, heavy pot over medium heat, fry the bacon until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small bowl.

Add the onions to the drippings in the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender, about 30 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking until the onions are golden brown and very soft, about 20 minutes longer. Pour in the wine and cook until the wine evaporates and the onions are brown and jamlike, about 12 minutes. Add the broth, bay leaf and rosemary, sage and thyme sprigs and simmer the soup very gently to melt the flavors, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard the herb sprigs. (The soup can be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat to serving temperature before continuing.)

Preheat the broiler. Arrange the toasts on a small rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Broil the toasts just until the cheese melts. Remove from the broiler, sprinkle with the bacon and minced herbs, and return to the broiler. Broil until the toasts are heated through.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Top with the toasts, dividing them evenly, and serve.


bacon recipe source: Williams-Sonoma Taste (@WilliamsSonoma), January 5, 2014

3035. CHEESE-STUFFED BACON MEATBALLS

yields four servings


Meatballs:

8 to 10 slices applewood smoked bacon
1 pound ground chuck
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 package onion soup mix
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
1 tablespoon beef stock
8 to 10 bocconcini mozzarella balls

Marinara:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
2 tablespoons freshly chopped oregano leaves
1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
2 (14-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes in puree
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon

 

Meatballs:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the bacon slices on a sheet pan. Put in the oven and bake until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan to a cutting board and chop. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the beef, Worcestershire, onion soup mix, bread crumbs, black pepper, stock and the chopped bacon.

Form portions of the meat around bocconcini to make smooth balls. Arrange the meatballs on a sheet pan with a rack and bake until thoroughly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Marinara:

Add the oil to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the onion, garlic, basil, oregano and pepper and saute for a few minutes. Stir in the crushed and diced tomatoes, red pepper flakes and the bouillon. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the meatballs from the pan to a serving platter and serve with the marinara sauce.

bacon recipe courtesy of: Aaron McCargo Jr., "Dishes with Dad," Big Daddy's House, Food Network

2499. APPLE-ONION SOUP with CHEDDAR-BACON CROUTONS

serves six


2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 medium onions, sliced thin
3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
Kosher salt
6 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 3/4 cups canned low-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp, crumbled
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
1 French baguette, cut on the bias into twelve 3/4-inch-thick slices

Heat the butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, apples, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir thoroughly to coat the onions and apples in the butter. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions and apples are deeply caramelized, and the bottom of the pot is coated with a dark brown crust, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the chicken broth, beef broth, wine, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen the brown crust. Simmer for 20 minutes to blend flavors. Discard the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. (Soup may be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat to a simmer before proceeding with recipe.)

Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the broiler. Combine the cheese and bacon in a bowl and stir to distribute evenly. Place oven-proof soup crocks on a rimmed baking sheet. Stir the chopped sage into the simmering broth. Fill each crock almost to the top with soup. Top each crock with 2 baguette slices and sprinkle with some of the cheese-bacon mixture. Place the baking sheet in the oven and broil until the cheese is bubbling and well browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Watch the soup carefully, because once the cheese is well browned it will quickly burn. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Everyday Dining with Wine by Andrea Immer. Broadway Books, 2004 | Leite's Culinaria, April 14, 2004

1602. BACON, POTATO and ONION SOUP

serves eight


8 slices bacon
3 cups onions, minced
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
4 cups cooked white potatoes*
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups potato water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
chopped Italian parsley for decoration

*Reserve the water that you cook the potatoes in for this soup. If you did not save it, add the equivalent liquid in stock or plain water.

Fry the bacon, pat off the excess grease, allow to cool, then crumble; set aside. Discard all but two tablespoons of the bacon grease and return the pan to stove over medium-high heat. When the fat begins to sizzle, add the onions. Lower the heat to medium-low and sauté the onions until they become golden brown—approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Pour the balsamic vinegar over the onions and garlic and continue cooking for one minute. Combine the cooked potatoes and the onions and pass them through a food mill to form a smooth paste. (Alternatively, place them in large bowl and use a potato masher.) NOTE: Do not mash the potatoes in a food processor; it makes them gummy. Place the potato-onion mixture in a large saucepan and stir in the stock and potato water. Add the salt, pepper, and five strips of crumbled bacon. Mix well and continue cooking for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the Italian parsley and remaining bacon.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Barbara Adams, Beyond Wonderful, San Francisco, California, talktobarbara@beyondwonderful.com