Chicken, Bacon, Vegetable Soup

Do you remember the first time you went out and bought all your pantry staples for a new house, or maybe your first house?  Our move to Austin was the first time I had ever lived in a place where I started with a completely empty kitchen.  I had to purchase everything.   I bought everything I could think of.  Now, I am so used to having all of that on hand, that it has been a little weird to not have any pantry staples here in Lyon.  The only difference is that because we will only be here for 6 weeks, I didn't want to buy all sorts of staples and then not be able to use it all up before we leave.  Because of this, dinner is proving to be a creative challenge.  I have to make things with the bare minimum, and make things that don't require lots of weird ingredients that I won't be able to use up or tons of spices. This soup definitely fit the bill and was fantastic for a cool, rainy spring evening.  Warm, delicious, and perfect with a few slices of bread heavily loaded with cheese.

Chicken, Bacon, Vegetable Soup
Loosely based on this French Soup

1 Tbs olive oil
2 raw chicken breasts, chopped into small pieces
4 strips of bacon (or lardons)
1 tsp herbs de provence
2 carrots
2 small onions
1 chicken bullion cube
4 cups of water
1 can of cannelli beans

Pour oil into a medium sized frying pan.  Add raw chicken and herbs de provence and cook on the stove until lightly browned.  Remove from the pan and add the lardons/bacon.  Cook until they are browning.  Remove from the pan and set aside.  Add the onions and cook in the bacon grease until they are soft and translucent.

In a medium sized pot, add carrots, onions, water, and bullion cube.  Cook on medium heat until carrots have softened.  Add beans and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, until the beans are heated through.  Add the bacon and chicken and serve while hot with tasty cheese and a crusty baguette!  Enjoy!