Chicken, Bacon And White Bean Soup Portuguese Style - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb dried white bean, rinsed and picked over (such as cannellini or great Northern)
1/2 lb bacon, cut into 1/2 inch wide pieces
2 cups yellow onions, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 tablespoons shallots, minced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 quarts chicken stock
3/4 lb cooked chicken, diced
1 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

Preparation

Put the beans into a large pot.
Add water to cover by 2 inches and soak for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Then drain.
Fry the bacon in a heavy stockpot over medium-high heat until crisp, about 7 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to lift onto paper towels to drain.
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pot.
Add the onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes.
Add the shallots, garlic, bay leaves, salt and cayenne.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots soften, about 1 minute.
Add the beans to the pot with the stock, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
Stir in the chicken and the reserved bacon and heat through.
Remove and discard bay leaves.
Ladle into warm bowls and sprinkle with the grated cheese.