Bean and Bacon Soup

A thick, smoky soup with cannellini beans and crispy bacon. Proper winter fuel for under £1 a bowl.

Ingredients

• 200g smoked bacon lardons
• 2 x 400g tins butter beans, drained
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 chicken stock cube dissolved in 1 litre water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Fry the bacon lardons until crisp.
2. Place everything in the slow cooker.
3. Cook on Low for 6-8 hours.
4. Remove the bay leaf.
5. Mash half the beans with a fork to thicken the soup.
6. Serve with crusty bread.

Tips

Mashing some of the beans gives the soup a lovely thick, creamy texture without adding any dairy.