A classic comfort dish, this bean and bacon soup is a healthy and heart-warming meal! Filled with all of the flavors of grandma’s home cooking, this fiber, and protein-packed soup works equally well as a main course or as a starter for lunch or dinner.
If you’re a fan of Campbell’s bean and bacon soup, you’re going to love this recipe! This homemade version is filled with all of the flavors without any funky added ingredients.
Is bean with bacon soup good for you?
Contrary to popular belief, homemade bean and bacon soup is healthy. Made with white beans, vegetables, chicken broth, and strips of bacon, bean soup with bacon is both a high-fiber and high-protein meal.
In fact, bacon is far more nutritious than people think. Bacon is a source of protein, B vitamins, selenium, phosphorus, and various other mineral and micronutrients (1). While bacon is higher in fat and, therefore, calories than other cuts of pork or meat, consumed in moderate amounts it can most certainly be included in a healthy and well-balanced diet.
By reading labels and choosing your ingredients with care, you can create a hearty soup that tastes just as good as it is good for you.
Best Beans to Use
For the best results, be sure to use dry beans for bacon and bean soup. Although you can certainly use canned beans if you’re in a pinch, dry beans provide a better texture and flavor to bean and bacon soup, not to mention, that they are much cheaper per serving. This recipe calls specifically for navy beans, however, you could easily use cannellini beans, great northern beans, or pinto beans if you prefer.
Best Bacon to Use
All styles of bacon, thick or thin, American or Canadian, classic or Maple, work well in the soup and give it the perfect balance of salty and savory in every bite. If you’re concerned about sodium content simply read the label and opt for low-sodium bacon.
Best Broth to Use
Homemade broth will always be the best tasting and, arguably, most nutritious option, however, there are many healthy broth brands available at grocery stores. I suggest using chicken broth or chicken stock for this recipe, as it provides the deepest flavor, however, a vegetable broth will also work if necessary. I do not recommend using water as it will leave the soup lacking flavor. If you’re concerned about sodium content, read the label and opt for a low-sodium chicken broth.
Storage and Reheating
If you want to make this bean and bacon soup ahead of time, or have leftovers, allow the soup to cool completely and then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months. To make grad-and-go meals easier, freeze the soup in individual portion containers as opposed to one large container.
To reheat from the fridge, transfer the soup to a pot on the stovetop on medium heat and cook for 5 minutes or until warm.
To reheat from the freezer, remove the container from the freezer, allow the soup to thaw completely, and then transfer it to a pot on the stovetop on medium heat and cook for 5 minutes or until warm.
The soup can also be reheated in the microwave; add the thawed soup to a microwave-safe container and reheat for 1 minute, with additional 30-second increments as needed, until warm.
Colder weather calls for hearty soups and that’s exactly what this bean and bacon soup is. With its thick and creamy texture, the soup has that stick-to-your-ribs kind of feeling and is an incredibly satisfying, satiating, and nourishing meal on a cold day.
More Bean Soup Recipes:
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Bean and Bacon Soup
This easy bean and bacon soup is a hearty and healthy meal packed full of protein and fibre.
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Prep Time: 1 hour -
Cook Time: 1 hour
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Total Time: 2 hours
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Yield: 5 servings 1x
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Category: Soup
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Method: Stovetop
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:Ingredients
- 1 cup navy beans, dry
- 8 slices bacon, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, sliced
- 4 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons thyme
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 handful fresh parsley, minced
Instructions
- Add beans to a colander, rinse with cold water, and remove and discard split, broken, or discoloured beans. Transfer beans to a bowl; cover with cold water and let soak overnight, or for at least 1 hour. Once soaked, strain the beans to remove any excess water.
- In a large pot on medium-high heat, add diced bacon and cook until golden and crisp. Once cooked, remove bacon from the pan using a slotted spoon, and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, leaving roughly 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pot.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables are tender and onions are translucent.
- Add garlic and thyme and cook for an additional minute until fragrant. Return cooked bacon to the pot and stir to combine.
- Add tomato paste and strained beans, stir to combine with the vegetable and bacon mixture, then add broth and bay leaf and stir again to ensure everything is well incorporated.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, roughly 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Once the beans are cooked, add the parsley, stir to combine (feel free to add extra broth or water to adjust consistency to your liking) and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 381 calories
- Sugar: 7 grams
- Fat: 19 grams
- Carbohydrates: 36 grams
- Fiber: 9 grams
- Protein: 18 grams
Nutrition Facts – need to know the amount of Iron that is in this recipe. We are on a low iron diet.
The soup contains roughly 29% of the DV of iron per serving (1/5 of the recipe).
How much sodium?
It will depend on the brand of bacon and broth used and the exact amount of salt added as seasoning.
We love this recipe! The flavors are amazing and it makes the whole house smell delicious. Unfortunately both times we’ve made it the beans aren’t soft in time. We used dry Great Northern beans instead of navy and soaked them overnight. We also kept the lid off while simmering. Any tips?
Beans can vary slightly from one to the next, so they probably just needed a little more cooking time. 🙂
Do I have to use dry beans? Could canned work?
Yes, you can used canned beans. You will need to use triple the amount of canned beans (3 cups) and reduce the cooking time to 15-20 minutes since they are already cooked.
Hearty and delicious!