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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.
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.
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
Before You Begin
Gather your ingredients:
- 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 Bean and Bacon Soup
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
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!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you thicken bean soup?
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.
Serving Suggestions
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.
Storage Tips
The Best Way to Store Leftovers
- 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.
Recipe Tips
- 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.
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 Yellow onion diced
- 1 cup Celery diced
- 1 cup Carrots diced
- 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 to drain.
- 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. Add the bay leaf and stir to combine.
- Increase heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low 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 half 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
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Very tasty and easy to make.
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Kari.
This was an instant success with my family. I also like that this was a smaller amount, just right for us. Just to note, I let the veggies cook about 10 minutes to release that really golden color of the carrot. I used a mixture of chicken and beef stock ( half and half), and I always use way more bay leaf ( five this time, totally worth it).
Oh my goodness- this soup is so, so delicious! One of my new favorites for sure.
Thank you Dede!