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Bacon and Bean Soup is thick, rich, and smoky, and perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner. It’s easy to make, full of flavor, and always a crowd pleaser!
Folks, you need this creamy bacon and bean soup in your life – this bean soup recipe is pure comfort food! And if you want some more, be sure to check out our other favorite soups, like Tortellini Soup, White Bean Sausage and Kale Soup, and Homemade Chicken Soup.
Table of Contents
Why We Love Bacon and Bean Soup
- Bacon. It’s got a ton of bacon in it, and the bacon adds a rich smoky flavor.
- It’s so easy to make. There are simple, everyday ingredients, and it’s ready in about an hour.
- Freezer friendly – Because it’s non-dairy, it freezes beautifully.
Ingredients Needed for Bacon and Bean Soup
- Bacon – About 10-12 ounces. Cook over high heat in a skillet until crispy, then drain on paper towels before dicing into small pieces.
- Vegetables – Yellow onion, celery, carrots, garlic cloves.
- Beans – 2 cans of Great Northern white beans, drained well.
- Chicken broth or chicken stock
- Bay leaf
- Tomato sauce – a small can of tomato sauce that can be substituted with a tablespoon of tomato paste.
How to Make Bacon and Bean Soup
I love how easy and cozy this soup is. It doesn’t take a ton of effort and the flavor results are magical!
I made this recipe using canned beans. If that’s not your thing, grab some dried great Northern beans and cover them with water to soak overnight. Drain the dry beans and then add them to the soup per the recipe. I’m a convenience girl sometimes and the canned beans cut out some serious prep time.
- Start by cooking your bacon until it’s crispy. Here’s a great pro tip for you – when a recipe calls for crumbled bacon, just use kitchen shears to cut the raw bacon right into the hot skillet. No need to cut or crumble after it’s cooked!
- Save a little bit of the bacon grease and add the garlic, onions, carrots, celery, sauteing until soft.
- Add 2 cans of drained great northern beans, chicken broth, and a bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the soup and let it simmer away. Chicken stock works too.
- Simmer the bean soup for about an hour so the beans and veggies get nice and soft.
- Remove the bay leaf and use an immersion blender (or a regular blender) to blend the soup and make it nice and thick. Add some tomato sauce for a little acidic note, then stir in the cooked bacon. Be sure to save some bacon to garnish your servings!
FAQs
There’s also the matter of how much broth to use. I generally like my bean soups on the thick side, that being said I opted to use 3 cups of broth for this recipe. The soup came out runnier than I normally like, but everything was still delicious! If you like your soup thick too, add 2 cups of broth and proceed as directed.
This soup is seriously smoky and salty so you’ll want to add some mild, lighter sides. I usually serve bean soup with a copycat Olive Garden Salad, Wedge Salad, or a Caesar Salad and some crusty bread for dipping. Or if you’re my husband you’ll just add a big handful of crackers.
Variations
- Add a splash of Liquid Smoke for an even smokier taste.
- I always top each bowl of soup with some crumbled bacon, but top with fresh parsley for added color.
- If you don’t have Great Northern beans, you can swap in some Cannellini beans. I always seem to have those on hand and they are interchangeable in your soup.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Your bean soup will last about 4-5 days in the fridge if stored properly in an airtight container.
- Freezer: Let your soup cool, then pour it into a freezer bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and heat on the stovetop.
More Soup Recipes to Try:
- Smoky Vegetable Beef Soup
- Hearty Chicken Soup
- Hamburger Soup
- Easy Beef Stew
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Bacon & Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 2 garlic cloves
- 45 ounces canned Great Northern beans drained
- 32 ounces chicken broth more or less to thin or thicken
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
- Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic to the bacon grease. Cook for 5 minutes until soft.
- Add the beans and chicken broth. Stir to combine. Add the bay leaf.
- Increase heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the bay leaf from the soup, Transfer the soup to a blender, food processor, or grab your immersion blender. Carefully pulse the soup until your desired consistency is reached. (I like the beans broken down, but not completely smooth.)
- Return the soup to the pot (unless you used your immersion blender) and add the tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Add ½ of the bacon back into the soup, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Portion soup into serving bowls and garnish with remaining bacon. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Refrigerator: Your bean soup will last about 4-5 days in the fridge if stored properly in an airtight container.
- Freezer: Let your soup cool, then pour it into a freezer bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and heat on the stovetop.
Nutrition
I have made this a few times. This is outstanding!! So simple, but the flavors are delicious!! Very hearty.
Awesome feedback Stacy! Thanks for stopping by.
I am always searching for good soup recipes and boy did I hit the jackpot with this one! The texture is amazing. The taste is delicious. Presentation is gorgeous. I will be making this again real soon! Thank you for having this recipe for all to enjoy. I’m going to be searching for more of your soup recipes now! I’m in New York and it’s been getting chilly out. Definitely need hot soup to warm my belly!
You are so welcome Nicole! Thank you for the awesome comment.
Bought an immersion blender for this. Loved the taste and texture.
Thanks for stopping by to share Barbara.
Very easy but very tasty too. I had to do some substitutions though. I could not find the correct beans so used white kidney beans. Only used 5 slices of bacon but added 3/4 teaspoonful of liquid smoke. Great smoky flavour. And in Canada a tetra pack of low sodium chicken broth, no added salt but did use pepper. Also used one table spoon of tomato paste instead of sauce. Excellent!
Love the feedback Sue! Thanks for stopping by.
This soup was AMAZING!! I made it 2 times last week because my husband and sons absolutely loved this recipe. Super easy and Delicious!!
Awesome feedback Stacy! Thanks for stopping by.
Easy to make. So much smoky flavor!!! It also gave me a reason to use my immersion blender. Will definitely make it again! 🥰
Love your feedback Cella! Thanks for stopping by.
I followed this recipe exactly the way it’s written. I’m one of those girls. Hahaha! It was absolutely perfect. Every bite had me ooooo-ing and ahhh-ing. I shared it with a dear friend who absolutely loved it too. Excited to try more of your soups!! If the rest are as good as this one my belly will be VERY happy! Thank you!
You are so welcome Nicole! Thank you so much for sharing the love with others.
I just made this for my husband and I and it was delicious! I have always liked Campbell’s Bean with Bacon soup and this recipe has all those flavors but better because it’s homemade. You are my recipe guru, your recipes never disappoint!
Nice! Thank you for the awesome feedback Toshi!
OMG!! This has absolutely got to be the BEST bean soup ever! Kristen, I have been making this bean soup from your recipe probably since you first posted it and my entire family is addicted to it. I have 3 children and 7 grandchildren who are constantly requesting it! Just taught my oldest granddaughter how to make it. Thanks for a great recipe that is now one of my family’s favorites. We love most of your recipes. Please keep them coming!! Thanks 😊
You are sow welcome Janet! Thanks for the fantastic feedback and for sharing the love.
Hi there, I was just wondering if the tomato sauce needed in this recipe is tomato ketchup or a can of fresh tomato sauce? Thank you!
Hi! The recipe calls for tomato sauce in a can.
Turned out great! Didn’t want to thaw bacon so I used saved refrigerated bacon grease and bacon bits. Ran out of bay leaf and used about 1 Tblsp Costco No salt seasoning and that worked perfectly.
Awesome feedback Robin! Thanks for stopping by.
K.
I am from South Africa. What can I use for the beans. Thank you rencia2808@outlook.com
Hi Rencia, It’s a bean soup, so it’s going to be tough to come up with a good substitute. Chickpeas maybe?
I happen to have dry beans, how much do I use?
a 15-ounce can of beans equals about a half cup of dry beans. So for the two cans you’d use a cup of dry. Keep in mind that you’ll need to soak the beans overnight and the cooking process and need to cook them quite a bit longer.
Delicious! Might add a pinch of cayenne pepper and a little smoked salt.
Awesome feedback Christine! Thanks for stopping by.
My entire family, including my three young kids, love this soup. I am not a very good cook, and it is easy to make. I am making it today for the third time!
Sounds like winner! Thank you for your awesome feedback.
I made the soup and it was good but to salty. I didn’t put any salt at all in it just pepper. Only used 6 slices of low sodium bacon.
Even low sodium bacon can be pretty salty. Also, salt is a personal preference so the flavor can be different for everyone.
I don’t have celery,so can I use celery seed and how much?
You can just leave it out.
Are great northern beans a navy bean?
Yes, they are.
Good quick soup with few ingredients.