Bean with Bacon Soup
Whip up a bowl of cozy, nostalgic Bean with Bacon Soup, made from simple ingredients that create a hearty blend of creamy white beans and smoky bacon. This homemade, flavorful delight is easy to prepare and undoubtedly better than any canned version you’ve tasted before.
A hot bowl of bean soup is perfect for the whole family – especially on a rainy day. It’s hearty enough to serve dinner and make a quick lunch. The creamy texture is what makes this the definition of comfort food! And the crispy bacon on top is the best part.
Make this one when you’re in the mood for a steamy bowl of good soup! It will quickly become your favorite soup recipe. It takes just 15 minutes to prep and then simmers for an hour. You can’t beat how easy and tasty it is.
Why You’ll Love Bean with Bacon Soup
- Favorite soup for cold weather. It will warm you up from the inside out.
- Ready in an hour. After just a bit of prep work, the stove does the rest of the cooking.
- Easy to make ahead and reheat. It tastes even better the next day.
- Childhood favorite. The flavors stand out in your memory.
- Tastes better than canned soup. It’s made with whole ingredients that are so good for you.
Ingredients
The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.
This easy bean and bacon soup recipe is made with whole ingredients. Here’s a bit more information about what I used.
- Bacon: Cook your bacon fresh and then chop it up into small bits.
- Sweet Onion: Even though any onion will work, a sweet onion will taste best in the soup.
- Celery: This is one of the aromatics that adds flavor to the soup.
- Carrots: The carrots add flavor, vitamins, and minerals to the bean soup.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic for the best flavor.
- Chicken Broth: Use either chicken stock or broth as the base of this great recipe.
- Salt and Pepper: This enhances all the other flavors.
- White Kidney Beans: These are the types of beans that are traditionally used in soup.
- Bay Leaves: A bay leaf will infuse the soup with earthy flavors.
- Fresh Thyme: This is a sweet and pungent herb.
- Tomato Paste: The thick tomato paste thickens the soup and sweetens it naturally.
- Sugar: You don’t need much sugar – just enough to counteract the tanginess of the tomato paste.
- Liquid Smoke: A splash of liquid smoke rounds out all the other flavors.
How to Make Bean with Bacon Soup
- Step One: Cook the bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve two tablespoons of bacon grease in the pot.
- Step Two: Add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and thyme to the pot. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Step Three: Stir in the chicken broth, 3⁄4 cup cooked bacon, salt, pepper, kidney beans, bay leaves, tomato paste, sugar and liquid smoke. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Step Four: Remove the bay leaves. Remove half of the soup from the pot.
- Step Five: Puree the remaining soup in the pot with a hand blender. Return the soup to the pot with the remaining bacon. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot.
Equipment Needed
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- Dutch Oven: It should be large enough to hold all the ingredients.
- Soup Ladle: You’ll use this to serve the soup.
- Immersion blender: This is what makes it nice and creamy. You can also use a blender or food processor.
What to Serve with Bean with Bacon Soup
Serve your white bean soup with the following sides. This thick and creamy soup is pure comfort food.
Variations and Substitutions
- Use dry beans. You’ll have to let them soak overnight, but it will make the soup taste richer.
- Use tomato sauce instead of tomato paste. This will make the soup less thick but still taste just as good.
- Add a ham bone. Simmering a ham bone in the soup will create a much fuller-tasting soup.
- Make it spicier. Add some red pepper flakes.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover homemade bean soup in an airtight container that’s also spill-proof. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Bean with Bacon Soup Tips and Tricks
- Use thick bacon. It will give you larger pieces of bacon that stand out in this great soup.
- Use fresh herbs. They will infuse the soup with delicious flavor.
- Drain and rinse the canned beans. The drained beans will make the soup thicker.
- Sprinkle a bit of garlic powder into the finished soup to boost its flavor.
How To Thicken
First, stir it well and make sure everything is mixed well. If it still isn’t thick enough for you, add a bit of a roux to it. The easiest roux is made with 1/4 a cup of butter and 1/4 cup of flour.
Can I Use Canned Beans?
Yes, you can use canned beans to make this soup. In fact, I used canned white kidney beans. Remember to drain and rinse the beans well before adding them to the soup.
Can I Use Different Beans?
Yes, you can make this recipe with a lot of different cans of beans. Some of my favorites include:
- Navy Beans
- Great Northern Beans
- Cannellini Beans
FAQ
Yes, you can make this in the Instant Pot, too. Use the saute function to pre-cook the onion, celery, garlic, and carrots. Then, add the rest of the ingredients and cook for about 30 minutes on high pressure. Do a natural release of the steam, and then blend the soup to your liking.
Yes, little kids love creamy soups like this one. In fact, kids love the bacon on top!
This recipe makes about six servings.
Hearty Soup Recipes
Want to make more delicious soups at home? Here are some of my favorites:
- Italian Sausage and Vegetable Stew
- Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken and Rice Soup
- Tortellini Soup
- Lasagna Soup
- Chicken Fajita Soup
- Cauliflower Soup with Bacon
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Hamburger Soup
- Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup
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Bean with Bacon Soup
Ingredients
- 1 package bacon 375g package, diced, about 12 slices, uncooked
- 1 cup sweet onion
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 cup carrots peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 3 cans white kidney beans 19oz/540ml can, drained and rinsed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp liquid smoke
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pot.
- Add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic and thyme to the pot. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the chicken broth, ¾ cup cooked bacon, salt, pepper, kidney beans, bay leaves, tomato paste, sugar and liquid smoke. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the bay leaves. Remove half of the soup from the pot.
- Puree the remaining soup in the pot with a hand blender. Return the soup to the pot with the remaining bacon. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot.
Equipment
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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I made the soup over the weekend and it was really good! I didn’t have fresh thyme, so I used dried thyme. When I make it again, I will use a little more liquid smoke, a 1/4 tsp wasn’t enough. I will also thicken the soup a bit. All in all, the soup was very good, good flavor and a big hit!
My Italian born husband said this would tasted a lot like the pasta e Fagioli that he grew up on. I said, but there’s no pasta. He replied next time there will be!