Here is the winning recipe from Jessica & Ava McKinney from the 2019 Inspired Chef Competition!
SOUP INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs. bacon, diced
1/2 cup diced onion
1 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 14 oz can of Cannellini beans, rinsed
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 cup dried mini pasta
1 6 oz bag of fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
DIRECTIONS:
In a soup pot, over medium high heat, cook the bacon until brown and crispy. Remove contents from pot, leaving 2 tbs. of the bacon fat. For a quicker meal, this can be done in a separate pot. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and continue cooking until translucent. Add the tomatoes and Italian seasoning, and cook for 2 minutes more.
Add the broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and continue stirring so it doesn’t stick. Boil for 6-8 minutes until the pasta is tender. Stir in the beans and spinach and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. Serve hot with more parmesan for sprinkling.
To ensure that the bacon maintains it’s crispiness it should be added to the soup just before serving. Ladle the hot soup into a bowl, stir in 1/4 cup cooked bacon and top with bacon fat croutons.
CROUTON INGREDIENTS:
3 cups of bread cubes
3 T. Bacon Fat
1 t. minced garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Toss all of the ingredients together and bake at 425* until golden brown.
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