Soppressata Bean Soup with Petite Sirah

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Course Two of my fabulous wine pairing dinner was a two-bean soup with bacon, soppressata, and various spices paired with The Crusher Petite Sirah. The original recipe for this soup called for Polish Sausage, but I love all things Italian so I chose to switch it up a bit. Soppressata is a common meat to use on cheese and charcuterie platters. It can be found hot and mild. For this soup I used mild so as not to detract from all the other powerful flavors. I loved this soup because it so vibrant and colorful and not very “soupy”. There is just enough broth for it to be called soup, but it is more similar in consistency to a chunky chili. In any case, it was delicious and I ate ridiculous amounts of it while preparing this dinner throughout the day. Even Elyse, my non-red-meat-eating friend loved it. I mean LOVED it! Jenn, the pickiest person in the world wrote “yum” on her notecard and even said aloud that it was a lovely dish. This soup is really fabulous all on it’s own. It doesn’t need any pairing at all!

As for the wine we had mixed reactions. Everything from “not my favorite” to “I love it” and “great wine, especially paired with the soup”. Others said that the wine paired well with the bacon and soppressata but not so much with the beans and other flavors in the soup, and David said that the wine was “overpowered by the soup”. The soup was quite obviously the star of this course!

The Crusher Petite Sirah is a dark ruby wine with rich flavors like berries and molasses (yummmm!) and baking spices. I enjoyed this wine the first time I tasted it on it’s own and I loved it with the bleu cheese and whole grain crackers from the cheese plate, but wouldn’t pair it with the soup in the future. This wine is going on my “to buy” list for further enjoyment!

Soppressata Bean Soup
Makes 8 appetizer servings

1 Slice Thick-Cut Baco, diced
1/2 Cup Soppressata, diced
1 Small Onion, diced
1 Small Carrot, diced
1 Small Yellow Bell Pepper, diced
1 Can Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
2 Juniper Berries, crushed and chopped into tiny pieces
2 Whole Allspice, crushed and chopped into tiny pieces
1 Bay Leaf
1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2-4 Cups Chicken Stock

1. In a large pot over medium-low heat, cook the bacon until almost crispy and it has given off a lot of juice.
2. Add the soppressata and cook three minutes.
3. Add the onion, carrot, bell pepper. Stir and cook until the onion is translucent, about five minutes.
4. Stir in the remaining ingredients, using enough chicken stock to just cover. You may need to add more chicken stock throughout cooking.
5. Simmer 30-45 minutes, or until the vegetable are soft.
6. Serve hot.

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This is not a sponsored post. I received these wines for free, but I am not being compensated for using them or writing about them. I am not affiliated with Don & Sons or Balzac Communications. All opinions expressed on Daisy At Home are my own and were not formed by any person, company, or being other than my own tastebuds and brain.

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