Bean and Bacon Soup

Ingredients

• 10 oz smoked bacon, about 9 – 10 slices, diced in small pieces
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
• 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
• 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1 Tbsp
• 5 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme, optional
• 3 cans navy beans, drained and rinsed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella or string cheese
• Chopped fresh parsley, for serving, optional

Directions

1. Set a large enameled cast iron pot over the heat and cook the bacon until the pieces are deeply browned and crunchy. Move the bacon onto a paper towel-lined plate, keeping 2 Tbsp of the drippings in the pot.
2. Warm those drippings over medium-high heat, then stir in the onions, carrots and celery. Let them sauté for 4 minutes, add the garlic, and cook for 2 minutes more.
3. Pour in the chicken broth, then mix in the tomato paste, sugar, thyme and beans. Add 3/4 of the cooked bacon to the pot, and tuck the rest into a small resealable bag in the refrigerator for later.
4. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Bring it up to a boil, turn the heat down to low, and let it simmer, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
5. Ladle 2 1/2 cups of the soup into a blender. Put the lid on, remove the center insert, and hold a folded kitchen towel over the opening, then blend until completely smooth.
6. Pour the blended soup back into the pot and stir it in. Serve warm with shredded cheese and parsley on top, thinning the soup with more broth or water if you like.