Baby Lima Bean Soup with Crispy Sage

Ingredients

• 2  bay leaves 
• 0.3 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 3 cups carrots coarsely chopped
• 2  sage fresh
• 6  garlic clove minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 2 cups onion coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt divided
• 2 slices bacon cut into small pieces
• 14 ounce vegetable stock canned
• 7.5 cups water 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• paper towels
• ladle
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Sort and wash beans; place beans in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; bring to a boil, and cook 2 minutes.
2. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour.
3. Drain beans and return to pan.
4. Add 7 1/2 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bay leaves to pan. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 10 minutes.
5. Add carrot; cook 20 minutes or until beans and carrot are tender.
6. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.
7. Add sage leaves; saut 1 to 2 minutes or until crisp.
8. Remove leaves from pan; drain on paper towels. Crumble and set aside.
9. Cook bacon in same pan 4 minutes or until crisp. Stir in onion; saut 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp-tender.
10. Add garlic, and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is tender.
11. Remove from heat.
12. Drain beans, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid in a small bowl. Discard bay leaves and return beans to pan.
13. Add 1 cup beans to reserved cooking liquid; mash with a fork until mixture forms a paste. Stir broth, bean paste, onion mixture, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and half of crumbled sage into cooked beans. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 4 to 5 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly heated (mixture will be thick).
14. Ladle soup into individual bowls, and sprinkle with remaining crumbled sage.
15. Serve immediately.