Bean and Bacon Soup

I wish I was one of those cooks that "created" her own dishes. I'm not. Instead I peruse cooking blogs, magazines and cookbooks and I post my favorites. This one comes from one of my favorite cooking blogs. (www.fortheloveofcooking.blogspot.com) I made a few slight changes to it, but otherwise it's all hers. I decided to make this, because one of my favorite lunches in high school was a can of campbells Bean and Bacon soup with crushed ritz. This recipes brought me back to those days. It was delicious.

4 strips bacon (I used two and it was plenty)

2 large carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf (I used two)

3 cans white beans, drained

4 cups chicken broth

2 Tbsp fresh parsley ( I left this out)

In a pot fry the bacon until crisp, remove and drain on paper towels. Let cool and chop.

Over medium heat, saute carrots, onion and celery in bacon drippings. Saute aroudn 5-7 minutes then add garlic and stir for an additional 60 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.

Add two cans of beans, bay leaf and broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Let simmer 15-20 minutes or until celery and carrots are soft. Uncover and remove bay leaves. Using a potato masher (or my NEW immersion blender I got for Christmas!) partially mash bean mixture until it thickens slightly. Stir in last can of beans, parsley and bacon. Yum!