Creamy White Bean Stew With Smokey Bacon Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 ounces apple smoked bacon, chopped into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion, small dice
• 2 carrots, small dice
• 2 celery stalks, small dice
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Pinch or two sea salt
• ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 6 (15 ounce) cans small white beans (or navy beans), drained and rinsed
• 4 cups chicken stock, hot
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place a large Dutch oven, or heavy bottom pot, over medium-high heat; once the pot is hot, add in a small drizzle of olive oil, and the chopped bacon; crisp the bacon completely until nice and brown, then remove with a slotted spoon, drain it on some paper towel, and set it aside for a moment; reserve about 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat, and set that aside for a moment, as well; wipe out the pot, and return it to medium-high heat.
2. Next, add back into the pot the bacon fat, along with the olive oil and the butter, and allow them to melt together; once melted and hot, add in the diced onion, carrots and celery, and allow them to soften and saute for about 5 minutes; next, add in the garlic, and once it becomes aromatic, add in about 2/3 of the reserved, crisped bacon, as well as the Italian seasoning, the sea salt and the pepper, along with the white beans, and stir to combine; next, add in the hot chicken stock, stir, and allow the stew to gently simmer for about 40-45 minutes, partially covered with lid; about half way through the cooking process, mash the beans a little bit with the  back of your spoon, or with a potato masher, to break up the beans a little bit and release their natural starch to thicken the stew; after about 40 minutes, turn the heat off and finish the stew by adding in the chopped parsley, the lemon zest and the lemon juice; serve the stew with some nice, crusty bread to dip, and garnish with some of the remaining crisped bacon.

Source: The Cozy Apron

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