Campbell's Bean with Bacon Soup

I fixed myself a bowl of Campbell's Bean with Bacon soup tonight. As it heated, I remembered a specific time when my friend, Janie, came over to my house. It was after school had let out for the day. I opened a can of that and we ate.

There is nothing significant about that whatsoever, except it absolutely astonishes me that this was almost 50 years ago! And the soup is still the same! They haven't changed it a bit; I've been buying and eating it for 50 years! I think it was a quarter a can back then, though.

Good grief, look at all these ingredients from a copy-cat recipe site...it is much easier and cheaper to go to Safeway and buy a can.

Bean with Bacon Soup

Ingredients: 2 cups navy beans -- soaked overnight

6 strips crispy fried bacon -- minced

3 medium carrots -- minced

3 medium celery stalks -- minced

1 medium onion -- minced

1/2 teaspoon thyme

2 cloves garlic -- minced

4 ounces tomato paste

1 dash red pepper flakes

6 cups water, more if needed

2 cups ham stock, if available -- decrease water

1 tablespoon wine vinegar

few drops liquid Barbecue Smoke® -- optional

salt and pepper -- to taste.

Directions:
Soak beans overnight and discard water. Place all ingredients except wine vinegar, salt and pepper in a large kettle. Simmer until beans are tender (about 3 hours) .(substituting 1 or 2 cups of ham stock for 1 or 2 cups of water gives this soup an extra depth of flavor) Puree 1 to 2 cups of soup and return to pot. Add wine vinegar and liquid smoke, mix well. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with hot cornbread and honey.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Campbell`s Bean & Bacon Soup serves/makes 4