Soup and bread is one of the best fall meals. The following soup is one of the best I have ever had. The recipe is from a cookbook we bought from a, very unfortunately, now out-of-business local restaurant. It is a little bit spicy, rich, hardy and delicious.
Tuscan Bean Soup
Ingredients:
1 onions, diced
1 bell peppers, diced
3 cups ham, diced
1 cup bacon, diced
6 cups northern bean, drained
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp cumin powder
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
Directions:
In a soup pot, saute onions, peppers, ham, and cooked bacon until onions are translucent.
Add the chicken stock and spices.
Add the beans and bring to a heavy simmer. Use a whip to break up and slightly mash the beans.
Add the milk and cream.
Bring to almost boiling and thicken with roux
My favorite side of this soup is Beer Cheese Bread. The following recipe is from Cooking Light.
Basic Beer Cheese Bread
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
13.5 oz. all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (12-ounce) bottle lager-style beer (such as Budweiser)
Cooking spray
2 tbsp. melted butter, divided
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion to pan; cook 10 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in pepper and garlic; cook 1 minute.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk; make a well in center of mixture. Add onion mixture, cheese, and beer to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
4. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake an additional 25 minutes or until deep golden brown and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.