Beans, barley and bacon soup

What you will need

1 lb Beans of your choice (soaked over night)

4-5 slices of thick nitrate free bacon

1 cup Barley

1/2 Medium onion chopped

Oil

1 tsp Salt

Serves 6

Night before:

Soak your beans in water over night.

Next day:

Chop bacon into small pieces and cook on medium heat.  Toss in chopped onion and cook both till crispy. Toss in those beans, barley and salt.  Add enough water to cover all ingredients.  Bring to a boil then reduce to low and cover. Cook on low for 1-1.5 hours. Done!

Additional notes: I used a smoke salt which added a great smoke flavor to the soup.  The beans I used were white canellini beans because they have a wonderful smooth texture in the soup.  We like to add a dollop of sour cream to our soup when served. Just adds a nice creamy flavor to the soup. If your cutting back on fat you can drain the fat off the bacon. I like the flavor so I leave it in. By all means use this recipe as you will.  Add in anything you love. This is just the basic recipe and you can alter it anyway you like. Use what you have, use seasonal items and you will enjoy the savings along with the soup. Enjoy!