Recipe: Butter Bean & Bacon Soup

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - It may not feel like winter quite yet, but the chilly season is just around the corner. And when it gets cold outside, there's nothing like some good food to warm you up from the inside out. Try making this hot and tasty soup from The Cheesecake Factory.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 lb. Smoked Bacon, small diced
• 1/2 cup Yellow Onions, small diced
• 1/2 cup Celery, small diced
• 1/2 cup Carrots, small diced
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
• Pinch Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 cup Roma Tomatoes, small diced
• 1 tsp. Garlic Cloves, minced
• 2 qts. Chicken Stock*
• 1 cup Beef Stock*
• 1/2 tsp Tabasco Sauce
• 1 ea. Bay Leaf
• 1/4 tsp. Fresh Sage, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. Fresh Thyme, finely chopped
• 1 cup Fresh Kale, hand-torn into small 1/2" pieces
• 2 lbs. Butter Beans*, cooked
• 1 cup Croutons*, chopped into1/4" pieces for garnish

Directions:

1. Place the bacon into a large sauce pot set over medium high heat. Cook the bacon for approximately 3 minutes or until it becomes crispy. Stir the bacon occasionally while it is cooking to prevent burning.
2. Add the onions, celery and carrots into the pot. Stir the vegetables together and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for approximately 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and have become lightly caramelized.
3. Add the tomatoes and garlic into the pot. Gently stir the vegetables together and cook for another 30 seconds.
4. Pour the chicken stock, beef stock and Tabasco sauce into the pot. Stir the ingredients together and allow the liquids to come to a boil. Once the liquids have come to a boil, lower the temperature to a slow simmer and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Add the bay leaf, sage, thyme, kale and butter beans into the pot. Stir the ingredients together and continue to cook at a low simmer for another 8 to 10 minutes or until the beans are heated through and the kale is tender.

Makes Approximately 3 Quarts, 8 to 10 servings

* All of these ingredients may be prepared according to any recipe of choice. They are also available fully prepared at most quality markets and specialty food stores.

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