Mardi Gras Soup

Why I Love This Recipe
From: Celebrate Low Carb
Ingredients You'll Need
5 strips bacon, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound okra, sliced, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne red pepper, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper
7 cups chicken stock, divided(low sodium)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 stick butter
1 - 1 1/2 Pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite
sized pieces
1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced 1/4-inch thick (If you
can't find this, other
good smoked sausage like Polish kielbasa works)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onions
Directions
In a large pot cook bacon until it starts rendering fat. Add all but one cup of okra.
Cook over high for about 3 minutes, stirring often. Add 1 teaspoon of white pepper, 1
teaspoon red pepper, and all the black pepper. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the okra is browned and no longer slimy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the onions, celery, green peppers and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often and scraping pan bottom.
Add 1 cup of the chicken stock. Cook and stir 5 minutes, scraping pan bottom. Add 2 more cups of stock. Cook 5 more minutes. Add the remaining spices and butter, stirring until the spices are blended in and the butter is melted.
Add remaining chicken stock, sausage & chicken. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 45 minutes, or until the soup is thick and the chicken is completely cooked. Stir
in the remaining okra, red peppers & green onions. Simmer for 10 more minutes. Serve hot.