Start off by soaking your beans overnight. (Alternative: use a quick soak method or use canned beans).
Place beans in a pot of water with the chicken stock.
While the beans simmer, dice the onions and mince the garlic.
On a skillet, cook your pancetta or bacon. After the bacon has been cooked, place the pancetta or bacon aside and while the bacon grease is still in the skillet, pour in the garlic and onion to cook. This gives the soup a bit of extra flavour
Pour in the onion, garlic, bay leaf, the cooked pancetta or bacon. Add in salt/pepper to taste if necessary. Stir to combine. Continue cooking the soup until it reaches a simmer. Let the soup simmer for 10–20 minutes or until the beans are cooked throughly.