Quick cannellini bean and bacon soup warms and delights on a cold day

What a surprise, cannellini beans are also called white kidney beans.

Are you familiar with the famous Italian soup Pasta Fagioli (pronounced paa·stuh faa·jow·lee)? Yes, I mispronounced it as pasta faa-zool for years. Either way, it’s a very tasty cannellini bean-based soup.

Not all white beans are the same. Cannellini beans are larger than other white beans and firmer in texture. Navy and Great Northern beans are smaller, with somewhat softer textures. Navy beans (also called haricot beans) are, generally, what’s used to make baked beans, since they hold up so well to long cooking. The famous Senate bean soup is also made with navy beans. Great Northern beans are the all-purpose white bean.

With this winter’s weather being so nasty, I’ve frequently headed to my kitchen and made all sorts of slow-cooking, kitchen-warming dishes, such as beef short ribs.

Sometimes, though, I want to make something that warms me up while not taking so long. Store-bought, organic chicken broth makes my life easy.

Even though beans that start as dry and simmered to tender are wonderful, their long cooking time is not so good. Canned cannellini beans and store-bought chicken broth make soup preparation a flash.

Looking to boost the flavor of my quickly made soup, I started with bacon from my farmers market vendor who raises his pigs using organic feed. In part, he does that because he has 8 children (some adopted), and they are all fed at the farm.

As the bacon began cooking, I cleaned and diced some onion, carrot, and celery, as well as minced some garlic. I transferred the nicely browned bacon to a plate and used the bacon fat to sauté the vegetables. I added the dried rosemary to the vegetables while they sautéed to bring out the rosemary’s full flavor. Then, in went the garlic. As soon as it became fragrant, I added the canned cannellini beans, including the liquid, and the chicken broth along with the cooked bacon and a bay leaf.

I’ve always wondered why recipes require draining and rinsing canned beans. I stopped doing that years ago. The only time I drain and rinse beans is when they are going into a cold salad, such as Three Bean Salad.

I brought my soup to a boil, reducing the heat to very low so it gently simmered, covered it, and let it cook for 15 minutes.

As my soup simmered, I shredded the last of a chunk of gruyere cheese I’d had in the refrigerator for a while. If I did not have that gruyere, I would have used a sharp cheddar or Parmesan.

As soon as my soup was done simmering, I ladled some into a bowl and topped it with the gruyere. Wow, it was delicious and warmed me up on a very cold afternoon.

My soup came together fast. Not as fast as canned soup, but it tasted far, far better. Give it a try.

• Don Mauer welcomes questions, comments and recipe makeover requests. Write to him at 1leanwizard@gmail.com.

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Speedy Cannellini Bean and Bacon Soup

3 ounces organic, uncured bacon, cut into small pieces

1 medium onion, peeled and diced

2 medium carrots, peeled, ends trimmed and diced

2 ribs celery, trimmed and diced

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled

4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 quart organic, free-range chicken broth

2 (15 ounce) cans of cannellini beans (or other white beans), including their liquid

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded flavorful cheese (such as sharp cheddar)

Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the bacon. Cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until crisp. Transfer cooked bacon to a plate. Add onions, carrots, celery, and rosemary and sauté until vegetables are soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth, beans with their liquid, and bay leaf. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Discard the bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve, passing the cheese. Serves 6.

Suggestion: 5 ounces of frozen, chopped organic spinach can be added 5 minutes before serving.

SaltSense: Using low-sodium chicken broth and omitting the added kosher salt reduces sodium per serving to 456 milligrams.

Nutrition values per serving: 325 calories (43.9% from fat), 15.8 g fat (8.2 g saturated fat), 26.7 g carbohydrates (17 net carbs), 3.7 g sugars, 9.6 g fiber, 18.6 g protein, 43 mg cholesterol, 883 mg sodium.

— Don Mauer