This old-fashioned bean and bacon soup recipe is so delicious, you'll never go back to canned. The hearty soup is a warming and comforting dish to serve on a cold winter day and it's easy to make. Canned beans really speed up the process, a nice compromise between canned soup and homemade from scratch. Serve with warm bread fresh out of the oven for a full delicious meal.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound uncured applewood smoked bacon, sliced into strips
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup peeled and diced carrot
- 1 cup diced celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 3 (15-ounce) cans yellow eye beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Garnish:
- 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Set a large pot or dutch over medium heat. Add the bacon and fry until most of the fat renders out and the bacon is crisp, about 5 to 10 minutes.
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Remove the strips of bacon to a sheet pan lined with paper towels. Set aside to drain. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease and return it to the pot. Discard the rest.
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In the same pot over medium heat, combine the onion, carrot, and celery. Stirring periodically, sweat the vegetables in the hot fat until they begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes.
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While the vegetables are cooking, crumble the cooked bacon into a medium bowl.
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When the vegetables are starting to soften, add the garlic. Saute for 1 more minute.
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Add 4 cups of the broth, 2 cans of the beans, and the bay leaves to the pot.
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To a blender or food processor, add the remaining broth, beans, and the tomato paste. Pulse until combined and somewhat creamy, but not totally smooth, rough puree.
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Add the puree and half the crumbled bacon to the pot. Reserve the other half of the bacon for topping the soup. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are very soft and the soup has thickened slightly, about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaves and remove from heat.
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Ladle the soup into serving bowls, top with the reserved bacon crumbles, and garnish with the parsley and shredded Parmesan as desired.
Tip
- If you prefer a creamier texture, feel free to make more puree than called for. Tailoring the texture to suit your tastes is one of the perks of going the homemade route.
Recipe Variation
- Many kinds of beans will work in this recipe. If you don't have yellow eye beans you can substitute navy, cannellini, great northern, or butter beans.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
266 | Calories |
5g | Fat |
44g | Carbs |
13g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 12 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 266 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 5g | 7% |
Saturated Fat 2g | 12% |
Cholesterol 13mg | 4% |
Sodium 717mg | 31% |
Total Carbohydrate 44g | 16% |
Dietary Fiber 10g | 36% |
Protein 13g | |
Calcium 142mg | 11% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |