Because of the higher grocery prices, I've been buying meat only on sale, the value packs of bone-in pork ribs or bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs which make for the best soups and stews. I recently pulled out a Ziploc of pork loins from the freezer and then dug in my vegetable bin for whatever root vegetables were there: yep, carrots and oh yeah, I had bought fennel bulbs to make a salad with oranges and red onion. I decided instead to include the fresh fennel in an Italian stew. In my herb box, I had marjoram, sage and thyme and filched rosemary from Cecilia.
But dagnabit, I did not soak any white beans the night before. And so back to the store for canned cannellini. A glass of Chardonnay and some crushed fennel seed too I thought would add even more flavor
I also remembered bay leaves and the bone broth I boiled from the Kamala Harris chicken lunch. I did also chop onions and garlic, but for good measure, I added a packet of onion soup mix too. The soup was AMAZING. Even Patrick who does not favor soup for dinner liked it. I had added frozen garlic bread to my grocery cart on that run for beans because I just didn't have the energy to also make a salad to accompany the soup.
I had bought two cans of beans--one to remain whole in the pot and the other which I had pureed in order to thicken the soup. Brilliant, I tell you. I aim to leave a pint jar at work for the other librarian, Michaela who loves, loves, loves my soups.
