Bean & Bacon Soup

Just had a craving for this today, so it is on the stove simmering.

1 tsp of grape seed oil ( I have super non-stick pots, so just a kiss to get the onions started)
1 small onion, diced
6 strips of Costco pre-cooked bacon (240 calories, very lean, cut in small pieces - saute with onion till very well done)

1 small potato, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
8 baby carrots, small slices
1 can of navy beans (450 calories)drained and rinsed
1/2 can of tomatoes
1 tablespoon of chicken bouillon powder mixed with 4 cups of water
3 cloves of garlic

Sweat the vegetables with some chili flakes, adding vegetables in order of recipe. Add canned tomatoes. Simmer, to let flavours mingle. Add broth and beans. Simmer, and smash chunks a little with potato masher when vegetables are tender, to give it a nice thick texture. The calorie count of this is not as low as a vegetable soup, but boy, is the flavour high! On a cold winter's day, it is just the ticket. Yields 10 servings of 3/4 cup each. The next time I make this, I think I will leave the bacon in large strips to get nice and crispy, then remove them before adding the liquid. That will give me nice crispy crumbles to put on top, or to save for a salad. I don't like the soggy bacon pieces in the soup, so I just left them behind in my bowl!