Spring is in the air! Can anyone taste it?! I definitely can!
My garden here in Florida is in full bloom of herbs and veggies right now, so I want to use them before the summer heat burns them all away. I decided to make a Spring Herb soup full of parsley, chives and tarragon, and some other yummy stuff.
I started with a bacon base, but you can easily use butter or olive oil instead if you want to make this vegetarian. Then, just layer in the veggies, pasta, liquids and beans and top with your herbs and you have the most delicious soup. It’s seriously packed full of flavor and lasts for days, if you don’t start eating it right from the pot. 🙂
Now the only question is, what kind of bread do I eat with this?! I’m thinking ciabatta…. let me know what kind you would eat with it in the comments below!
Happy cooking!
Spring Herbs Soup with Pasta & Bacon
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces bacon, finely diced
- 1 medium-size yellow onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- ½ cup (4 ounce) dry white wine
- 1 ¼ cups uncooked pasta (like fregola sarda, orzo, or Israeli couscous)
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley stems, plus 1 1/2 cups finely chopped parsley leaves, divided
- 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 8 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh chives
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh tarragon
- Finely grated pecorino Romano cheese, for garnish
- Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Directions
- Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium. Add bacon; cook, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add onion, salt, and black pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 to 12 minutes.
- Add wine; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has almost completely reduced, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add pasta of choice, parsley stems, garlic and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Add broth; bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, about 8 – 10 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in cannellini beans; cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Stir in chives, tarragon, and parsley leaves.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with pecorino Romano, and serve with lemon wedges, if desired. Enjoy!
Season Generously 