Spicy Bean Soup with Crispy Bacon

Warm up on a cold day with this hearty and flavorful Spicy Bean with Bacon Soup. Made with a variety of beans, vegetables, aromatic spices, and crispy bacon, this soup is a perfect comfort food. It's easy to make and will satisfy your taste buds with its rich and smoky flavors. Serve it with some crusty bread for a complete meal.

Ingredients

• 6 slices of bacon, chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

Directions

1. In a large pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pot and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot.
2. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper, red bell pepper, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans to the pot. Stir in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.
4. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the flavors are well combined and the soup has thickened slightly.
5. Remove the soup from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend about half of the soup until smooth. This will give the soup a creamy texture while still maintaining some chunkiness.
6. Return the soup to the heat and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
7. Serve the soup hot, garnished with crispy bacon and fresh cilantro. Enjoy!

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