The Miracle That Is Bacon

Occasionally I make a white bean and sausage soup, mostly because the ingredients are on hand and it's a relatively easy and healthful dinner. My version originated with a recipe in a soup cookbook, though I've long since stopped referencing the recipe. The soup was never great, but I kept making it because I couldn't figure out why it wasn't better. It always seemed to taste flat, though I've improved it by sweating the vegetables and cutting down on the tomatoes.

One day last week I decided to throw in a strip of bacon, only because there was some left over in the fridge. Lo and behold, that was the ingredient the soup had been missing. It went from dull to umami-full. Bacon is surely a cook's godsend. Here's the recipe:

White Bean and Sausage Soup

1 cup white beans, soaked for several hours or overnight
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 strip bacon
1 stalk celery
1/2 carrot
1/2 medium onion
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 large tomato, peeled and chopped, or 1/2 can chopped tomatoes

Drain the beans and add 4 cups water along with the bay leaf and thyme. Bring to low boil and cook until soft (1 to 2 hours).

While the beans are cooking, chop the bacon, celery, carrot, and onion. Heat a Dutch oven or other heavy pot and add the bacon and vegetables. Cover, lower the heat to a simmer, and stew for 20 minutes.

Add the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces, and stir in the garlic. When the meat is cooked through, add the tomatoes.

Add the beans, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for half an hour.