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White bean soup with bacon

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Brighten a miserable day with this healthy cannellini bean soup topped with a sprinkling of bacon, just 54 calories per serving. Serve with crusty bread and butter for the perfect lunch.

White bean soup with bacon

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Ingredients
  

  • onion 1 finely chopped
  • carrot 1 finely chopped
  • olive oil
  • garlic 1 clove crushed
  • white beans or cannellini 410g tin rinsed and drained
  • chicken or veg stock 500ml
  • single cream 142ml pot
  • streaky bacon 4 rashers finely sliced and fried until crisp
  • parsley a few sprigs fried until crisp

Instructions
 

  • STEP 1
  • Fry the onion and carrot in a little oil until soft but not browned, add the garlic and cook for two minutes. Add the beans and cook until warmed through.
  • Push all the ingredients through a mouli back into a saucepan and add the stock and cream, bring to a simmer and season.
  • Divide between 4 bowls and sprinkle with bacon and parsley.

Notes

Adapted from olivemagazine.com

Gluten-Free Bacon and Cheese Muffins

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You can whip up a batch of these delicious gluten-free bacon and cheese muffins in next to no time. Eat them warm just as they are for breakfast or as a snack, or serve with soup for lunch. Use can also use them as a replacement for bread rolls, split and filled with soft cheese and tomatoes. They freeze well so why not make a batch so you always have some to hand. They’re ideal for packed lunches, for the office and school,l and when you’re out for the day and not sure if gluten-free food is going to be available.

Gluten-Free Bacon and Cheese Muffins

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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 3 rashers smoked bacon
  • 70 g fine polenta or cornmeal
  • 70 g gluten-free plain flour
  • 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 75 g mature Cheddar finely grated
  • 4 tbsp natural yogurt
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Fan 160C/Gas Mark 4. Grease 6 holes of a muffin tin and line the bases with circles of baking paper (or line with paper muffin cases). Grill or fry the bacon until crisp, finely chop and set aside.
  • Place the polenta in a bowl and sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and stir in the Cheddar and chopped bacon.
  • In a separate bowl beat together the yogurt, oil and eggs. Add the dry ingredients and stir lightly and quickly to mix. The mixture should still be a bit lumpy, if over mixed the muffins will be heavier.
  • Divide the mixture between the muffin tins and bake for 20-25 mins until golden and just firm to the touch. Cool in the tin for 5 mins before turning out. Serve warm or cold.

Notes

For vegetarians replace the bacon with 50g cooked and chopped mushrooms or 75g wilted spinach, squeezed of excess liquid and finely chopped. Also ensure the cheese you use is suitable for vegetarians.

Lentil and Bacon Soup

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This lentil and bacon soup recipe is a delicious lunch time option. Serving 4-6 people, this mouth-watering recipe is packed full of lentils which will keep you fuller for longer and bacon which adds a great depth of flavour to the soup. A hearty, healthy soup that all the family will love – and you can keep it for up to three months frozen, too. Just reheat it when you need a quick supper! This recipe takes 1hr to slow cook this luxurious soup dish. A portion of this dish works out at only 240 calories and 10g of fat per portion.

Lentil and Bacon Soup

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Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 6 rashers smoked streaky bacon
  • 1 onion peeled and chopped
  • 2 carrots peeled and diced
  • 200 g 7oz red lentils
  • 400 g can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • 2 tbsps chopped fresh parsley
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Crusty bread to serve

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add the bacon, onion and carrots and cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes, or until the bacon has started to turn golden and the vegetables have softened. Add the lentils to the pan and stir well. Add the chopped tomatoes and 1.5 litres (2½ pints) boiling water, and stir in stock cube. Bring to the boil, cover, and then simmer the soup gently for about 1 hour, or until the lentils and vegetables are tender.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and leave the soup to cool slightly. Purée the soup with the parsley, and add seasoning to taste. If the soup is too thick, a little extra boiling water can be added.
  • Reheat the soup for serving in mugs, with crusty bread.

Notes

To save time (and washing up), this soup needn't be puréed, but can be left slightly chunky - just make sure it's cooked for long enough, so that the lentils are very tender. If the soup isn't going to be pureed, ensure that both the bacon and onion are finely chopped. To freeze, leave the soup to cool, pack into freezer containers, cover, seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow the soup to defrost before reheating.