SPAIN - read, eat, pray .............2.= CALDO GALLEGO= white, hot, bean soup.

          2. CALDO GALLEGO - hot white bean soup from Galicia.

 

 I was reading a nice, joyful story (fiction) by BARBARA O’NEAL, 

 “THE GARDEN OF HAPPY ENDINGS”. 

It is about two next door high school friends, Joaquin and 

Elsa who just before they get married  decided to take two weeks  walking pilgrimage in Spain, called Camino de Santiago = the walk to St. James, walking  to the Cathedral Santiago, North of Spain. (SEE  HISTORY NOTE, at end). 

They came back, they didn’t get married but they brought recipes from Spain and the novel  brought the story of their lives…..

On the walk to Santiago cathedral,  they had many times 3 dishes, they loved so much, they put  THE RECIPES at the end of the book, from where I am bringing to you.

1. TARTA SANTIAGO (from Joaquin, the priest).

2. CALDO GALLEGO - hot white bean soup from Galicia,

                            (from Joaquin, the priest).

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS (from  ELSA, the reverend). 

Recipe: (from Joaquin, the priest).

CALDO GALLEGO ( from the end of Barbara O’Neal novel, “The Garden of Happy Endings” )

 Caldo Gallego, or white bean soup, hails from Spain's Galicia region, a place where good, hot soup and hearty meals reign supreme.

 (https://www.goya.com/en/recipes/galician-style-soup).

 This is the main  food when one walk to Santiago de Compostela, and is always serve with a heavy hearty bread…..

 As Joaquin said, a hearty peasant soup with hearty bread to hold you over many days of walking.

My NOTE:  I made this soup and it is exactly what my grandmother would make, in Romania, all winter along. Remembering this and loving reading the story of this 2 very good friends, I just love this soup.

My NOTE: I am using my INSTANT POT, but can be easily slow boiling/steaming on the stove, few hours, until beans are soft and tender.

Ingredients:

1lb bacon, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 qt vegetable (or chicken) stock (4 cartons)

1 lb mixed beans

1 large turnip, diced to 1 inch

2 potatoes diced 

1/4 lb collard green

salt and pepper

Directions:

Brown the bacon in a heavy soup pot and let drain on paper towel. Pour off fat in the pan, leaving 2-3 tablespoon in the pan.

Add diced onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, then add garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes more.

Add bacon, stock and bean, and cook 2-7 hours, depending what type of bean you use…….(you can use two 15 oz cans of  white beans OR/AND a mixer of beans)…..

Add turnip and potatoes and cook until tender. Add diced chorizo and greens and cook a little longer. 

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a heart bread and butter.

(print recipe, pag. 14)

( from the end of Barbara O’Neal novel, The Garden of Happy Endings).

CALDO GALLEGO - white bean soup from Galicia, Spain.

Ingredients:

1 lb bacon, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 qt vegetable/OR chicken stock (4 cartons)

1 lb mixed beans

1 large turnip, diced to 1 inch

2 potatoes diced 

1/4 lb collard green

salt and pepper

Directions:

Brown the bacon in a heavy soup pot and let drain on paper towel. Pour off fat in the pan, leaving 2-3 tablespoon in the pan.

Add diced onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, then add garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes more.

Add bacon, stock and bean, and cook 2-7 hours, depending what type of bean you use…….(you can use two 15oz cans of  white beans OR/AND a mixer of beans)…..

Add turnip and potatoes and cook until tender. Add diced chorizo and greens and cook a little longer. 

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a heart bread and butter.