Step 1

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil and bacon, cook, stirring frequently until bacon until lightly crisp, about 4-6 minutes. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside on paper towels. Reserve 2 tbsp of bacon fat in the pot, discarding the rest.

Step 2

Add carrots, onion, celery and salt, season with freshly cracked pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until carrots have started to soften and onion has browned. Add garlic and cook for another minute until very fragrant.

Step 3

Add ¾ of the bacon back to the pot (reserve the rest for garnish). Add beans, chicken broth and thyme. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to low, simmer, partially covered for 30 minutes until vegetables have softened.

Step 4

Remove thyme sprigs and transfer half of the soup to a blender. Blend until smooth. Return blended soup to pot and stir. (This step can be done using an immersion blender).

Step 5

Serve with remaining bacon sprinkled on top.