Ohhhhh, doesn't this sound good? Think I could add bacon?

I think bacon would definitely work here and add to the flavor profile of the dish, but if you'd like a substantial meat added to the dish, I recommend chicken. Bake off some chicken thighs (skin on) in the oven. When they are done, remove the skin and shred the chicken meat and add to the stew (along with the bacon). Between the parsley and the cilantro (I like both), I think parsley would lend itself to the dish better.