Potato and Parsnip Soup with Bacon

Ingredients

• 0.3 teaspoon pepper black
• 0.3 cup celery diced ( 1 stalk)
• 2.5 cups less-sodium chicken broth fat-free
• 2 tablespoons parsley fresh chopped
• 1 cup milk 1% low-fat
• 1 cup onion diced ( 1 medium)
• 1 cup parsnips diced peeled ( 2 small)
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 2 slices bacon thick-cut
• 1.5 pounds yukon gold potatoes diced peeled

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• ladle
• potato masher
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp.
2. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside.
3. Place pan over medium-high heat.
4. Add onion and celery to drippings in pan; saut 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in broth and parsnip; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in potato; cover and simmer 19 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
5. Remove from heat; stir in milk, salt, and pepper.
6. Spoon 3 cups soup into a large bowl; mash vegetables with a potato masher, and return soup to pan. Stir in parsley. Ladle soup into bowls, and sprinkle each with crumbled bacon.