White Bean Soup

I have made this soup a few times. It is really good and with the bits of bacon on top it almost resembles and tastes like a baked potato soup.

Ingredients:
2 ounces sliced pancetta or bacon cut into small strips
1 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (also known as white kidney or Great Northern beans)
1 and 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage (You could also use dried sage or oregano)
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cups water
Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste

Cook pancetta in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat until most of the fat is rendered and pancetta is crisp, about 7 minutes; remove pancetta with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.

Stir onion and garlic into the drippings; cook over medium heat 5 minutes. Add beans and sage; cook 1 minute longer. Add broth and water and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Puree with a stick blender, or in batches in a blender or food processor, until smooth. (It took me 3 batches with my food processor. Pour back into the saucepan and reheat over a low flame. Season soup with pepper and salt to taste, and garnish each serving with crisp pancetta bits.

I served the soup with grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches. It was a great dinner on a rainy night.