Cannellini, Bacon & Veggie Soup (gluten free, dairy free)

I made this super yummy soup last night for dinner, and I thought I would take a photo of it and share the recipe before I polish off the leftovers for breakfast this morning (I'm eating as I write!).  The boys and I met up with some friends at the beach yesterday while Ben stayed home for some downtime, and as we were driving home at 5 pm I had no idea what we were going to have for dinner.  I remembered that I had recently bought a couple of cans of cannellini beans, and that we still had weekend bacon in the fridge plus leftover fresh rosemary from Thanksgiving, and a big mason jar of homemade chicken stock waiting to be used up.  It seemed like the beginnings of a great soup, and since it's been "chilly" here lately, it just seemed appropriate to make something warm and comforting to eat.  It's healthy, hearty, and full of that umami flavor that I just love.  I hope you enjoy this as much as we did, and if you have any leftovers, it really is a delicious way to start the day.

INGREDIENTS

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

5 stalks organic celery, diced

3 medium organic carrots, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds

5 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 small orange flesh sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes

3 cups organic chicken stock

1 cup water

1 cup finely chopped organic Lacinato kale

1 tsp dried thyme

2 cans organic cannellini beans, drained and rinsed well

6 slices thick nitrate-free bacon, cooked until crispy, then chopped

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1-2 tsp Himalayan pink salt

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium low heat and saute onions until they start to brown.

  2. Add the celery, carrots, garlic, rosemary, and sweet potato and saute for another 5-7 minutes.

  3. Add the chicken stock, water, kale, and dried thyme. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

  4. Stir in the cannellini beans, bacon, and Italian parsley. Let simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the veggies are fork tender, but don't over cook. You don't want everything to end up super mushy.

  5. Add 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt, and check for seasoning. Add more salt if needed. I used 2 tsp total, but it will depend on how salty your chicken broth is to begin with. Add a little black pepper at this point, if you'd like.

  6. Ladle into soup bowls, and enjoy! This would be delicious with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese on top, if you eat dairy.