Packed with veggies and flavored with a little bacon, this recipe will warm you up on a chilly day. This hearty soup is as versatile as it is delicious. Substitute collards for the kale, use another type of small dried beans, or add heat with red pepper flakes. And because it’s made in a slow cooker, you don’t have to stand over the stove stirring it for hours. Just prepare the bacon in the microwave, crumble it, then add it along with the vegetables and other ingredients to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW until the potatoes and beans are fork-tender, 5 1⁄2 to 6 hours.
How to Make It
Step 1
Cook bacon in microwave until crisp, according to package directions. Crumble bacon.
Step 2
Place potatoes, onion, carrots, beans, parsnips, celery, broth, garlic, pepper, salt, and bacon in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW until potatoes and beans are tender, 5 1⁄2 to 6 hours.
Step 3
Uncover and stir in kale. Cook, uncovered, until kale is tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Ladle soup into serving bowls, and garnish with black pepper and thyme leaves.
