I made this accidentally while cleaning out the cabinet one night. I was scared of adding the tomatoes, but am SO glad I did! They really gave this simple soup a new depth of flavor. I devoured it and so did my hubby!
The ingrediants:
1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 to 6 oz smoked ham or bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans white beans (Navy, cannolini, etc)
4 to 6 cups chicken broth
1/4 to 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes (NOT oil packed, dried only), chopped
salt/pepper to taste (I did not need much salt due to salted broth)
Combine olive oil and ham in large pot. Saute ham/bacon until starting to brown and edges are crisping. (If using bacon, you may want to drain it a bit…or not. Up to you.) Next, add onion and garlic and cook for about ten minutes, making sure to get the onions/garlic very tender. Add a bit of broth if needed to prevent overbrowning.
Finally, add in beans, chicken broth, and sun dried tomatoes. Bring entire pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about fifteen minutes. Eat at will!
Calorie info (using 2 tbspn olive oil, and 6 ounces of regular ham): Approx. 4oo calories a serving (four servings…can serve smaller portions but we were HANGRY!)
Note: I serve this with quick “pan fried” corn bread. For two: 1/2 cup corn meal, 1/2 c fat free plain yogurt, 1 egg, and a bit of water (if needed). Cook just like pancakes (I used nonstick spray or a teeny bit of olive oil) in a nonstick skillet.
