Bacon, Bean, and Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 lb dry navy beans
• 6 oz bacon
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 yellow onion
• 3 carrots
• 3 stalks celery
• 1.5-2 lbs potatoes
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. The night before, put the beans in a large bowl and cover them with cool water by 2-3 inches. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and leave the beans to soak overnight.
2. The next day, chop the bacon into 1-inch pieces. Set a large pot over medium heat and cook the bacon until it is browned and crisp. Move the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, then pour out most of the drippings, leaving 1 tablespoon or 2 in the pot.
3. As the bacon cooks, dice the onion, mince the garlic, peel and slice the carrots, and slice the celery. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery to the bacon drippings and sauté over medium heat until the onion turns soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. As the vegetables release moisture, scrape up the browned bacon bits from the bottom of the pot.
4. While the vegetables sauté, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/2-inch cubes. Pour the soaked beans into a colander to drain, then give them a quick rinse.
5. Add the potato cubes, rinsed beans, and chicken broth to the pot. Put the lid on, bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat a bit and keep it at a gentle boil for 1 hour, or until the beans and potatoes are very tender.
6. With an immersion blender, purée about half of the soup, keeping some of the beans and vegetables intact. If you do not have an immersion blender, take half of the soup out of the pot, let it cool slightly, and carefully purée the warm soup in a blender or food processor. Pour the puréed soup back into the pot and stir it into the remaining soup.
7. Stir in the tomato sauce and the reserved bacon. Warm the soup through, then taste and season with salt and pepper if it needs it. Serve hot.