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 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 the 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, which they loved so much, they put  THE RECIPES at the end of the book, from where I am bringing them 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 walks to Santiago de Compostela and is always served 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 alone. Remembering this and loving reading the story of these 2 very good friends, I just love this soup.

My NOTE: I am using my INSTANT POT, but can be easily slow boiling/steamed on the stove, a 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 a paper towel. Pour off the fat in the pan, leaving 2-3 tablespoons 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 for 2-7 hours, depending on 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 hearty bread and butter.

(print recipe, page 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.