Saturday Swap ~ Pork and White Bean Soup

Happy Friday Friends!  It's that time again.....  Ready for Saturday Swap???  Gather your favorite recipe that you've whipped up recently in your kitchen and get ready to link up.

My kitchen hasn't been too creative this week.  But I did get to enjoy my first photography lesson sitting at my kitchen counter with my teacher, Sarah.  She patiently walked me through ISO, shutter speed, aperture, etc.  I'm super hopeful that I'm on my way to understanding my camera, yet somewhat overwhelmed with all there is to learn.  I have homework to complete and then Sarah will come back and {bless her sweet heart} she will patiently answer all my questions.

However, I did manage to try a new soup from a great new cookbook I received from my grandmother for Christmas.  The book is called Comfortable in the Kitchen by Meredith Laurence.  This is a great cookbook with gorgeous photos.

Pork and White Bean Soup
Adapted from Meredith Laurence

3 slices of chopped bacon
1 pound pork tenderloin, cubed into 1" pieces
1 onion, chopped into 1/2" pieces, about 1 cup
2 carrots, chopped into 1/2" pieces, about 1 cup
2 ribs of celery, chopped into 1/2" pieces, about 1 cup
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 quarts chicken stock
3 (15oz) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Cook the bacon until crispy in a stockpot.  Remove the bacon and leave 1 tbsp of the bacon fat in the pot.

Season the pork with salt and pepper and brown in the pot on all sides.  Remove the pork and set aside with the bacon.

Next, saute the onion, carrots, and celery in the pot until tender.  This will take 6-8 minutes.  Add the garlic, oregano, pepper flakes and bay leaf.  Cook for 1 minute.  Then add the cooked pork, bacon, tomatoes and chicken stock to the pot.  Simmer for 1 hour or until the pork is tender.  Add the beans and heat about 5 minutes.  Remove the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper as needed.  Add cilantro and serve!

Now it's YOUR turn!  

What have you cooked this week?  

Be sure to link directly to your recipe URL 

and 

include the Saturday Swap button {found in my sidebar} somewhere in your post.