Ingredients

　　1 cup dry navy beans

　　6 slices bacon

　　1 carrot, diced

　　1 red bell pepper, diced

　　1 small onion, chopped

　　1 large clove garlic, minced

　　1/2 teaspoon paprika

　　2 1/2 cups chicken broth

　　One 16-ounce can crushed tomatoes

　　1 bay leaf

　　The Lady’s House Seasoning

　　Crumbled bacon

　　To quick-soak the beans, place them in a pot and add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and boil for 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat and let the beans stand in the hot water for 1 hour. Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a Dutch oven until crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside. Add the carrot and bell pepper to the Dutch oven and saute for 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes longer. Stir in the paprika. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes longer to develop the flavor of the paprika. Slowly add the chicken broth, then stir in the crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, and House Seasoning to taste. Drain the beans and discard the liquid. Add the beans to the soup, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours, or until the beans are as tender as you like. Thin the soup with the chicken broth. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with bacon.

　　The Lady & Sons, Too! by Paula Deen. © 2001 by Paula H. Deen. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Paula H. Deen was born and raised in Albany, Georgia. She later moved to Savannah, where she and her two sons, Bobby and Jamie, started the Bag Lady catering company. The business took off and evolved into The Lady & Sons Restaurant, which is located in Savannah’s historic district and specializes in Southern cooking. Paula is the host of Food Network’s Paula’s Home Cooking and is a regular guest on QVC, where her cookbooks are one of the newtowrk’s biggest sellers.