Smoked bacon, leek and butter bean chowder

Smoked bacon, leek and butter bean chowder
  • Serves icon Serves 8
  • Time icon Hands-on time 45 min

Crusty bread is essential when tucking in to Debbie Major’s hearty chowder recipe made using Jersey milk, smoked bacon, butter beans and leeks.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories
325kcals
Fat
19.4g (10.4g saturated)
Protein
14.3g
Carbohydrates
20.2g (7.6g sugars)
Fibre
6g
Salt
1.1g
Calories
325kcals
Fat
19.4g (10.4g saturated)
Protein
14.3g
Carbohydrates
20.2g (7.6g sugars)
Fibre
6g
Salt
1.1g

Ingredients

  • 50g butter
  • 350g leeks, thickly sliced
  • 200g British free-range smoked bacon lardons/strips
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 litre Jersey, Guernsey or full-cream milk
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 50g plain flour
  • 200ml good quality chicken stock
  • 2 x 400g cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
  • 100ml single or double cream
  • 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Method

  1. Melt half the butter in a large pan. Add the sliced leeks, stir well to coat with butter and season lightly. Cover and cook gently for 3 minutes until just tender and still bright green. Tip the leeks into a bowl and set aside.
  2. Return the pan to a medium heat, add the bacon lardons and oil, then fry gently until the lardons have released some of their fat. Increase the heat to high and fry a little more briskly until lightly golden. Add the rest of the butter and the onion to the pan, cover and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes until the onion is soft but not browned. Meanwhile, gently heat the milk and bay leaves together in a separate pan.
  3. Stir the flour into the bacon and onions, then cook for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the stock, then stir in the warm milk and bring almost to the boil. Add the butter beans and season to taste, then simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Remove and discard the bay leaves, stir in the leeks and cream, then bring back to a simmer. Stir in the parsley and season to taste. Serve in bowls with fresh homemade bread.

delicious. tips

  1. The chowder will keep in a sealed container for up to 48 hours in the fridge or up to a month in the freezer. Defrost, then heat gently to warm through. Sprinkle with fresh parsley to serve.

Recipe By

Debbie Major

Subscribe

Fancy getting a copy in print?

Subscribe to our magazine

Rate & review

Rate

Reviews

Read what others say...

  1. Served with Irish wheaten bread, this was delicious. I will omit the beans next time as they do not add anything at all to the dish. If you don’t serve it with bread, I would keep the beans, for texture and sustenance. Maybe have more bread or bacon instead of those beans :p
    Really lovely dish, so easy to make

Share a tip

Or, how about...?

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Discover one-pots

Corn and fish chowder

A protein and fibre-rich chowder recipe that’s best mopped up...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Sweetcorn recipes

Smoked haddock and sweetcorn chowder

A quick and easy chowder recipe that only costs around...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Quick midweek meals

Smoked haddock, leek and potato chowder

This classic creamy smoked haddock, leek and potato chowder goes...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Recipes with tinned beans

Butter bean and chorizo stew

A deliciously warming and moreish stew, made with butter beans...

Subscribe to our magazine

Food stories, skills and tested recipes, straight to your door... Enjoy 5 issues for just £5 with our special introductory offer.

Subscribe

Unleash your inner chef

Looking for inspiration? Receive the latest recipes with our newsletter

We treat your data with care. See our privacy policy. By signing up, you are agreeing to delicious.’ terms and conditions. Unsubscribe at any time.