- 12 oz smoked bacon, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- Pinch sea salt
- ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 6 (15 ounce) cans small white beans (or navy beans), drained and rinsed
- 4 c chicken stock, hot
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; once hot, add in a small drizzle of olive oil, and the chopped bacon; crisp the bacon completely until browned, then remove with a slotted spoon, drain it on paper towels, and set it aside; reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat, and set aside, wipe out the pot, and return it to medium-high heat.
Next reserved bacon fat to the pot, 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 for about 5 minutes; next, add in the garlic, cook for 30 seconds, add in 2/3 of the reserved bacon, 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 with a potato masher, to break up the beans a little. 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 crusty bread, and garnish with some of the remaining crisped bacon.
