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Bean and Bacon Soup
4.9 from 39 votes

Bean and Bacon Soup

Warm and hearty Bean and Bacon Soup to brighten up those chilly days! It's made with simple ingredients and it's way better than canned! Plus it doesn't have any mysterious ingredients, you can name everything here.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 5
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 10 oz Bacon about 9 - 10 slices), diced in small pieces, smoked
  • 1 1/2 cups onion 1 medium, yellow, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups carrot about 3 large, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups celery about 3 stalks, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced (1 Tbsp
  • 5 1/2 cups chicken broth low-sodium
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp thyme optional, chopped fresh
  • 3 (15 oz) cans Navy beans drained and rinsed
  • salt freshly ground
  • black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 1/4 cups (5 oz) mozzarella cheese or string cheese, shredded
  • parsley for serving (optional, chopped, fresh

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Cook bacon in a large enameled cast iron pot until browned and crisp, transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, while leaving 2 Tbsp rendered bacon drippings in pan. 
  2. Heat drippings over medium-high heat and add onions, carrots and celery. Saute 4 minutes then add garlic and saute 2 minutes longer.
  3. Add in chicken broth, tomato paste, sugar, thyme and beans. 
  4. Stir in 3/4 of the cooked bacon, while reserving remainder in a small resealable bag in refrigerator until ready to use. 
  5. Season soup with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until veggies are soft, about 30 minutes. 
  6. Transfer 2 1/2 cups of the soup to a blender, cover with lid (while removing lids center insert and holding a folded kitchen towel over blender) blend until smooth. 
  7. Stir pureed mixture back into soup. Serve warm topped with shredded cheese and parsley. Thin soup with more broth or water if desired.