White Bean & Bacon Soup

I was looking through my soup recipes the other night, for something that used ingredients I had on hand (hadn't been grocery shopping in a few weeks), and would be warm, comforting, and yummy on that cold rainy day.  I also needed something that could go in the crockpot, so it would be ready when we got home from work, before we ran out the door again to church.  I ended up finding a very basic recipe and adding a few things til I was satisfied.    My family LOVED this soup!  We ate it with a couple of slices of toast from my bread.  Luckily, Steve and I had enough left for our lunch the next day!

White Bean & Bacon Soup

1 lb bacon, fried until crisp, and crumbled
3 cans white beans
1 vidalia onion, diced
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 potatoes, diced
freshly ground salt, pepper, and fennel
 water

Chop and fry bacon.  While bacon is frying, pour beans into crockpot.  Add minced garlic and spices to taste.   When bacon is done, use a slotted spoon and remove to pot with beans.  Saute carrots, onions, and potatoes in bacon grease until crisp tender.  Add to pot.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  
This is a very yummy, comforting soup.  For a vegetarian option, fry a pound of baby bella mushrooms in a bit of grapeseed oil in place of the bacon.    This is a soup we will be making often! 

Linked to: Weekend Whatever Link-Up #43 

Linked to: Gluten Free Fridays #10