Breton Beans

I was going through my photos and discovered these of the Breton Beans that I made a while ago.

*Gasp*

It would have been a real catastrophe if I had forgotten about them and never got to share this recipe with you. They were delicious. Especially eaten with some Roasted Beet Garlic Bread .

They do require a bit of prep work and advanced planning but are SO worth it.

They do make quite a bit too so be prepared to share with family and friends or be eating them for a while. I'm pretty sure you could freeze them for later as well.

Breton Beans

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen
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Ingredients

1 bag (16 oz) dry beans, soaked overnight

1 whole onion, diced

1 Tbsp bacon fat

1/4 lb bacon, diced

1/4 lb ham, diced

1 whole ring of Kielbasa, precooked, diced

salt & pepper

1 can ( 156 ml) tomato paste
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Directions

Rinse beans. Place beans in a soup pot and add 3 times more water than beans. Heat until it comes to a boil then remove from heat, cover and let stand overnight.

When ready to start, replace the bean water with fresh water until a few inches above beans. Then, boil and cook until soft (2-4 hours). Replacing the cooking water at this step helps with digestive and gas issues some people have when eating beans.

While cooking the beans, in a frying pan, caramelize the onion in the bacon fat along with the bacon on medium low heat. Cook until onions are caramelized and softened.

Add the onions and bacon to the beans, along with the ham, diced kielbasa, salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes to blend the flavors.

Add the tomato paste and stir, which will thicken the soup. Allow to cook for another few minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Note - Typically, baby or giant Lima beans are used, although cannelli, navy or other beans are often used as well.

I am glad I came across the photos of this recipe and got to share it!
It is a real comfort food that is especially good on a cold day.