The Best Bacon, Bean and Vegetable Soup

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It's been cold! It's been wet! It's soup weather!

Like me, at the first sign of cold, rainy indoors-by-the-fire sort of weather do you get the itch to make a large pot of soup?

Here at Coffin Bay, like much of southern Australia, we are experiencing a very wet and cold winter. Just the weather for a spot of soup making.

Doing the weekly shopping in Port Lincoln I found inspiration for this soup in a tray of beautiful bacon bones, a bag of mixed dried beans and an enticing range of fresh vegetables. They sung to me of a tasty Bacon, Bean and Vegetable soup!

Together with thick slices of warm crusty bread, this soup has made for an easy, tasty and heart warming lunch on the coldest of days.

It has been particularly welcome when we arrive home, chilled to the bone, from our beach house renovations!

Click here to see what we've been up to!

The Best Bacon, Bean and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

2 meaty, smoky bacon bones
300grams minestrone soup mix (wash and then soak the dried beans overnight
 in plenty of water)
3 stalks celery
2 large carrots
1 large potato
1 onion
1 turnip
1 swede
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper

Method

Drain the soaked beans and put aside. Peel and dice the vegetables.

Lightly grease a large frying pan with a little of the butter. Cook the bacon bones over medium heat until nicely browned. Place the bacon bones and beans in a large stockpot and cover with water or stock. Bring to the boil and simmer gently.

Add the remaining butter to the frying pan. Add the diced vegetables and cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the onions are opaque. Put aside until the beans in the stockpot are cooked when tested - this can vary depending on the beans - but is usually between 15 - 20 minutes.

When the beans are cooked add the vegetables - and more liquid to cover - if required. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. The aroma filling your kitchen will be amazing!

Taste and adjust the seasoning of the soup with salt and pepper.

Remove the bacon bones to a plate. With two forks shred any meat on the bones and return the meat shreds to the soup.

Serve with toast or crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Cheers!

Marian