I'm busy in the kitchen this week as I prepare for Thanksgiving so... I needed something super simple to make myself for lunch that I could then enjoy for a few days after the one preparation. I've been craving a nice BLT sandwich lately, but I'm also trying to stay away from gluten a little bit too. So, with bread out of mind (and  BLT Lettuce Wraps already done), I started to think about how else I could enjoy the flavors of a BLT in a different form. Ta-da! BLT soup.

This soup is pretty amazing. When topped with the shredded lettuce, the greens wilt just enough to soften but still retain a bit of texture; adding another dimension to an otherwise rather smooth soup. And of course, the bacon adds all the awesome. How can you go wrong with anything involving bacon? You can't!

For this recipe, I took the basic foundation of my Skinny Tomato Basil Soup and changed a few things around. Since I was adding in a cheese crisp, I decided to leave out the cream cheese. After all, I wanted the flavors of the tomato to be the star of the show. I also decided to use the grease from the bacon to cook my veggies in... I mean it is a BLT soup, so why not just go for it?

I always like to use center cut low sodium bacon. It's a minor change that cuts a lot of sodium and fat out of your standard bacon, without having to go to something completely different such as turkey bacon.

I topped my soup with a parmesan and asiago cheese crisp, but if you can't find anything similar, feel free to top your soup with 1 tbsp. of reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese instead. It should be just as amazing!

If you're like me and you like your BLT sandwich with (quite) a bit of mayonnaise on it... and you're feeling extra spunky, you can even add a small drizzle of mayo or greek yogurt over the top of the soup.

Skinny B.L.T. Soup
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 4 • Size: About 1 1/2 Cups • Calories: 159.9 • Fat: 5.1 g • Carb: 20.1 g • Fiber: 6 g • Protein: 8.8 g • Sugar: 13.8 g • Sodium: 554.2 mg

Ingredients:
4 Slices Reduced Sodium Center Cut Bacon, Chopped
1 Medium White Onion, Chopped
3/4 C. Carrots, Shredded
4 Garlic Cloves, Minced
3 (14.5 Oz.) Cans 'No Salt Added' Diced Tomatoes
2 C. Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
1 Tbsp. Dried Basil
1 Tsp. Sugar
1/4 Tsp. Dried Oregano
1/4 Tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
Salt & Pepper to Taste
1 C. Lettuce, Shredded
1/4 C. Reduced Far Cheddar Cheese or a Cheese Crisp

Directions:

Place the bacon into a large soup pot and cook over medium-high until brown and crispy.

Remove the bacon to a paper towel and set aside; reserving the grease in the soup pot.

Add the onion, carrots and garlic into the pot and sauté in the bacon grease until the veggies are tender and the onions are translucent; about 2-3 minutes.

Place the tomatoes, broth, sugar, and spices into the pot and bring it all to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Cover and reduce heat to low to simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Remove the lid and either use an immersion blender or a regular blender (with the steam cap removed) until well blended.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide among bowls and garnish each with 1/4 c. shredded lettuce, a sprinkle of the bacon bits, and either a cheese crisp or 1 tbsp. reduced fat shredded cheddar.

Serve right away and enjoy!