Hearty Bean Chowder

[cm_janssen@yahoo.com]

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Ingredients
6 slices bacon
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
2 onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
2 carrots, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
3 (15 ounce) cans white beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, undrained
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 pinch ground black pepper
salt to taste
Directions
In a large pot over medium high heat, saute the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and some of the fat; drain and set aside. Keep about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot, add the flour and stir well to form a roux. Heat the roux until it is a dark brownish color, about 5 minutes.
Add the onions, celery, sesame oil and carrots to the roux and saute for 2 minutes, stirring well. Add the garlic and heat for 2 more minutes. Add the water and stir well. Finally, add the white beans, black beans, cayenne pepper to taste and ground black pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 2 hours, or until the vegetables and beans are tender and the soup is the consistency you want. If the veggies aren't tender but its too thick, you can always add more water. Return the bacon to the soup and season with salt to taste.