Soup!

New favorite soup recipe:

1T olive oil
3-1/2 oz. bacon (pieces)
1T fennel seed
1 red onion, peeled and diced
4 carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 fennel bulb diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1t red pepper flakes
2 x 14 oz. cans cannellini beans
       (aka white kidney beans)
3 (or more) Cups chicken stock
1 Parmesan rind (I minced mine and left it in)
7 oz. kale




We were surprised (and delighted) with how delicious this soup is.  I will double the recipe next time I prepare it so that I don't have half a fennel bulb to figure out what to do with.  It was served with a nice walnut pesto.  1-2 cups of arugula, lemon zest, garlic, walnuts (I used about 1 C)finely grated parmesan (I used about 1 cup) and enough nice olive oil to make it work ... all in the food processor

Back to the soup:  Put chopped bacon and fennel seeds in pot of already hot oil until the bacon begins to render fat.  Add fresh vegetables and red pepper flakes - sauté to al dente. Rinse and place one can of beans in the food processor with "some" chicken stock - pulse to smooth.    Add to pan with the other can of rinsed beans and the rest of your stock.  I like broth-y soups so I used more stock then you might prefer.   Cover and simmer for about thirty minutes then add chopped kale for another few minutes (to soften).   Serve with pesto dollop.  So good.
Next time I prepare this I think I will cook the bacon before hand and include it later in the process (but use the rendered fat) ... I selected an uncured Black Forrest thick cut for this.