Kielbasa Soup with Olives

Total Time: 40 minutes; 35 active minutes| Servings: 6

Ingredients

Line a large plate with a double layer of paper towels and reserve.
Place a large pot over medium heat, then sprinkle in the chopped bacon. Stir and cook until browned and crisp, then use a slotted spoon to move the bacon pieces to the paper-lined plate.
In the bacon fat, sprinkle the kielbasa slices and stir until browned, about 4 minutes. Move to plate with bacon.
Add the onion, celery and carrot to the pot and stir, scraping up any browned bits, and reduce the heat to medium low. Stir occasionally until soft, about 5 minutes. Move the vegetables to one side of the pan and spoon the tomato paste on the open space, scrape and stir until bubbling and slightly darkened. Add the paprika, allspice, bay leaves, pickles and juice, olives and beef broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for 5 minutes or so, until vegetables are tender. Stir in the reserved bacon and kielbasa and simmer until hot.
Add more pickle juice, if desired. Serve sprinkled with fresh dill and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

360 calories, 28 g. fat, 60 mg. cholesterol, 1230 mg. sodium, 16 g. carbohydrate, 4 g. fiber, 13 g. protein