WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH PEPPERS AND BACON (FRIDAY)

1 1/2 cups dried white beans 5 slices bacon 2 medium red bell peppers, chopped 2 medium onions, chopped 1 cup chopped carrot 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 4 cloves garlic, minced 6 cups unsalted chicken broth 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Sort and wash beans; place in a large pot. Cover with 2 inches water above beans; bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 1 hour; drain. Remove beans from pot and set aside.

Cook the bacon in the same pot on medium until crisp. Remove bacon; crumble and set aside. In same pot, add bell peppers, onions, carrot, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper and garlic to bacon drippings; cook 10 minutes or until browned. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add beans. Bring to boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour or until beans are tender. Blend some of mixture until smooth (use an immersion blender if available). After blending, return pureed mixture to pan. Stir in crumbled bacon and parsley and serve. (Soup may be thick; if necessary, thin soup with water to make 8 cups.) Makes 8 cups.

Per cup:

245 calories (percent calories from fat, 33), 9 grams protein, 31 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 9 grams fat (3 grams saturated fat), 10 milligrams cholesterol, 207 milligrams sodium.