Reunion Soup

Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1/2 lb bacon, diced
• 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup green cabbage, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup carrot, chopped
• 1 large russet potato, about 3/4 #, peeled & chopped
• 1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise and cut in 1/4-inch slices
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried chervil, can substitute 1/2 tsp. fresh minced parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 (14 ounce) diced tomatoes with juice, i often add only one can
• 4 cups beef stock or 4 cups broth
• 2 tablespoons barley, uncooked (recipe calls for 1/4 c)
• 1 tablespoon long-grain rice (recipe calls for 2t)
• 15 ounces great northern beans, drained, rinsed, i add for an additional protein source but not necessary to add
• 2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons margarine
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Recipe

• 1 in a large dutch oven over medium heat, cook diced bacon until crisp.
• 2 remove and drain bacon on a paper towel. reserve 1tablespoon of bacon grease in dutch oven.
• 3 add onion,and garlic and saute' for about 1 minute. stirring constantly.
• 4 add cabbage, celery, carrot, potato, zucchini and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. add bacon back into pot.
• 5 add remaining ingredients (tomatoes, salt, pepper, chervil, broth, rice, barley, beans) **** except sauce and vinegar, which will be added later.
• 6 bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until vegetables are very tender, about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• 7 meanwhile, about 20 minutes before serving, make the seasoned sauce.
• 8 seasoned sauce:.
• 9 in a sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter. add flour and stir until bubbly.
• 10 whisk in remaining ingredients and stir until thickened, 1 - 2 minutes.
• 11 sauce will become thick if it stands; do not thin.
• 12 after soup has cooked for 1 1/2 hours, whisk in sauce and 1 t cider vinegar. cook for 10 more minutes until flavors are blended.