White Bean Soup With Peppers and Bacon

A nourishing, hearty soup that is great for when you want to make something that is a little different.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 35 mins
• Yields: 8 cups

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups dried navy beans
• 5  bacon, slices
• 2  cups red bell peppers, chopped
• 2  cups onions, chopped
• 1  cup carrot, chopped
• 1  teaspoon sugar
• 1  teaspoon onion powder
• 1  teaspoon garlic powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 3 (16 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1⁄2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Sort and wash beans; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; bring to a boil, and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain beans.
2. Cook the bacon in soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble and set aside. Add bell pepper and the next 8 ingredients (bell pepper through minced garlic) to drippings in pan; saute 10 minutes or until browned. Stir in the broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add beans. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until beans are tender.
3. Place 3 cups of the bean mixture in a blender, and process until smooth. Return the pureed mixture to pan. Stir in the bacon and parsley.