Hearty Bean Soup

Get your prep done before you start cooking: finely chop the onion and mince the garlic cloves. Peel and dice the carrots. Chop the parsley.
Add 1 can of beans to a bowl, pour in 1 cup chicken broth and purée with an immersion blender until smooth. Set aside.
Heat oil over medium in a large pot. Add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove from pot with slotted spoon leaving as much grease as possible in the pot.
Add onion, garlic and carrots. Cook for 3 minutes until fragrant and soft. Stir in pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning and tomato paste. Add the remaining 2 cans of beans together with the puréed beans. Pour in the remaining broth, add bay leaf and pearl couscous. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 15 minutes. If you're not planning to serve the soup right away, cook the pearl couscous separately.
When ready, turn off the heat, add bacon and Parmesan. Stir until combined. Finish off with extra black pepper and chopped parsley. Serve immediately. Enjoy!