Ingredient Spotlight-Curried Cream of Green Bean Soup with Bacon

Here is a little something different to do with green beans.  This makes a good, light soup for a summer lunch.  Green beans, bacon and a little curry powder.  All good things.  The crunchy bits of bacon make for a nice contrast to the creamy soup.  Of course, 2 cups of any other cooked vegetable can be used instead of the green beans, so one can have curried carrot, pea, asparagus, broccoli, or cauliflower soup.

Curried Cream of Green Bean Soup with Bacon

8 slices bacon, diced
1/2 c. chopped onion
!/3 c. chopped red pepper
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 T. butter
3 T. flour
1 (13 fl. oz.) can evaporated milk, regular or 2 %
2 c. cooked fresh or frozen green beans or 1 (16 oz.) can
1/4 t. curry powder
1t. instant chicken bouillon
1/2 c. water.
salt and pepper to taste

Fry bacon in a skillet until crisp, remove to paper towel to drain and set aside.  Drain skillet of bacon grease.  Add onion, red pepper, and garlic to skillet and cook in residual bacon grease until tender.  Set aside.  Melt butter in a medium size saucepan.  Add flour and stir until well blended.  Add evaporated milk and cook over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken.  Remove from heat.  Drain green beans if using canned, saving the liquid in a glass measuring cup.  Place green beans and 1/2 c. of reserved liquid in a blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth.  (If using cooked fresh or frozen green beans, use 1/2 c. water if you do not have the liquid from cooking the beans.)  Add green beans to milk mixture and mix well.  Return to heat.  Add curry powder and instant chicken bouillon.  Add the 1/2 c. water if mixture is too thick.  Cook over low heat 10 minutes stirring often until soup is heated through.  Ladle soup into serving bowls and top each serving with the onion bits.  Makes 4 servings.  Good served with Ritz Roasted Vegetable Crackers.

 Linking to Ingredient Spotlight

Ingredient Spotlight-Thyme Enough Casserole

This casserole is a nice dish to take to a potluck or other gathering.  It comes from a Chex recipe booklet that was put out when Chex were still made by Ralston Purina.  You can use whatever combination of vegetables that you prefer in this.  It just needs to be around 3 cups.  I usually use frozen mixed vegetables.  You can also use other herbs of your choice.

Thyme Enough Casserole
4 T. butter or margarine
2 1/2 c. Rice or Corn Chex cereal crushed to 1 1/2 c.
1/4 t. dried thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 c. diced celery
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
1/2 t. salt
dash pepper
1/2-1 t. fresh thyme (may use 1/4 to 1/2 t. dried thyme if you don't have fresh)
1 can (10 3/4 oz..) condensed cream of mushroom or chicken soup or 1/3 c. Cream Soup Mix and 1 1/4 c. water.
1/2 c. chicken broth or water
1 1/2 c. cooked sliced carrots (canned, frozen or fresh)
1 1/2 c. cooked cut green beans (canned, frozen or fresh)

Melt butter in large skillet.  Remove 2 T. and combine with Chex and 1/4 t. dried thyme.  Mix thoroughly.  Set aside.
In remaining butter sauté garlic, celery, and onion until celery is tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes.  Add salt, pepper and fresh thyme to taste, soup and water.  Blend well.  Stir in carrots and green beans.  Turn into a greased shallow 1 1/2 qt. baking dish.  Top with reserved Chex mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly and top is lightly browned.  Makes 6 (3/4 cup) servings.  Can easily be doubled.

I am linking up to Eat at Home's Ingredient Spotlight-Fresh Herbs

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