White Bean with Bacon Soup

By Kate Riley October 5, 2011

Mmm mmm mmm, I love me some soup on a rainy fall day. A storm blew through our town in the last two days, so I had to whip up one of my favorites: white bean with bacon soup. It’s scrumdillyumtious and perfect on a fall day.  

white bean with bacon soup in bowl

 

White Bean with Bacon Soup

1 lb dry cannellini beans (soaked as directed)

3 14.5 oz cans chicken or vegetable broth

3 medium shallots, finely diced

2 tbsp butter

2 bay leaves

¾ tsp dried thyme

¾ cup diced peeled carrots

5-6 strips cooked apple wood smoked bacon

¾ cup lowfat milk

salt to taste

Prepare dried cannellini beans as directed on package (with overnight or quick soak) in a large pot, drain any remaining water. Add diced shallots to butter in separate pan and brown for 2 to 3 minutes. Add broth and shallots to beans in pot and bring to a low boil.  Cook over medium low heat for 30 minutes. 

Add carrots, bay leaves, thyme, and bacon and cook for another 25-30 minutes on low heat until beans and carrots are soft.  Remove bay leaves, add milk, then with a hand mixer or in a blender, puree half of the soup until it becomes creamy. Add salt to taste.  Reheat in pot to desired temperature. Serve warm with breadcrumbs, croutons, and/or diced bacon on top accompanied by breadsticks or sourdough slices. Yum.

 

white bean with bacon soup cg

Printable recipe here.

 

Here are six more favorite soups I’ve written about in the past:

six soups cg

From top left: Thirty Minute Minestrone; Wild Mushroom Bisque; French Onion Soup; Chicken Tortilla Soup; Cauliflower Soup; Potato & Corn Chowder.

 

Got a favorite soup recipe you’ve made or love to make?  Please do your share your link or recipe in a comment, I’m always looking to try readers’ tasty favorites!!

 

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22 comments

  1. Thanks so much for this! My hubby swears he hates soup – I love soup. This might just be the one to bring him on over to the soup loving side. It has bacon! Men like bacon — just saying! LOL Thanks

  2. Yes! I made your Minestrone last Fall and have been really wanting to make it again but I couldn’t remember where I saw the recipe, I saw it here! Yay! Thank you!

  3. Wow, these all look great. Thank you for sharing! I have a great crock pot taco soup recipe that’s wonderful when you are feeling particularly lazy. :-)

    Taco Soup

    1 lb. of lean ground beef (can also be made with ground turkey or chicken)

    1 can of Pinto Beans

    1 can of Kidney Beans

    1 can of Black Beans

    1 can of Great Northern Beans

    1 can of Fancy Diced Tomatoes (or Petite Diced Tomatoes)

    1 can of Whole Kernel Corn

    1 can of Beef Broth

    1 pkg. of dry Ranch Dressing (fat free)

    1 pkg. dry Mild Taco Seasoning

    Cook meat and drain, wash juice off of the Black Beans & Corn (only). Combine all of the ingredients in a crockpot and heat thoroughly.

    Top with cheese, sour cream and avocado before serving.

  4. I’ve been eating a ton of Nutrasystem soups.They have black beans and rice that taste home made.First Fall rainy day here in Southern CA.It hit the spot.

  5. I’ve never made bean soup before, but you make it look so elegant that I must try. Thanks for sharing.

  6. BEST soup ever:

    Pasta e Fagioli
    1.5 lb ground beef
    1 C each diced onion, carrot, celery
    2 t minced garlic (fresh, frozen or bottled)
    1 can kidney beans, undrained
    1 can cannellini beans, undrained
    1 C diced zucchini and/or summer squash
    2 cans 15 oz tomato sauce
    1 can beef broth
    1 T vinegar, 1 ½ t salt, 1 t Italian seasoning
    8 oz small shell pasta
    Parmesan rind (optional)

    Directions:
    In large soup pot, brown beef along with onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Drain grease. Add remaining ingredients (if you have a parmesan rind in the freezer, throw it in at this point) and cook until pasta is done.

    Top with grated parmesan and serve with crusty bread. Tastes even better the next day . . and the next . . and the next

  7. I am sooo going to have to try this! I LOVE your food pictures, though you’re not a food blog, you really do it well! :)

    Here’s two of my favorite soup recipes:

    Chicken Tortilla
    http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2010/07/my-recipes-mean-green-chicken-tortilla.html

    “Leftover” Spaghetti Chicken Soup (I invented this one)
    http://bellsandkilts.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-recipes-leftover-spaghetti-chicken.html

    Guinness Beef Stew is also a fantastic choice for colder weather and I’ve made it many times in the past few years, but don’t have a recipe to share from my blog just yet. That post needs to be done once Texas gets below 90 degrees! :)

  8. This looks great but does anyone know how to thickne it up without using dairy? My husband would love this but he is lactose intolerant. Maybe adding more beans to the pureed part?

  9. I made this up using odds and ends, and so I don’t have amounts – but it is all to taste!

    Curried Smoked Turkey and Lentil Soup
    Make a homemade stock with leftover chicken (or bring store bought broth to a simmer). Add in a smoked turkey leg with 1/2 onion, celery stalk, and bay leaf. Simmer for a few hours until you have a flavorful stock and the chicken and turkey fall off the bone. Shred meat, and discard bones, onion, celery and bay leaf.

    Bring stock and meat back to a simmer, add chopped onion, carrot, celery, garlic clove, and about 1-1.5 cups of dried lentils. Add curry powder to taste. I also add additional pepper for spiciness, crushed coriander, a touch of crushed clove, and another bay leaf. Cook until lentils are tender and falling apart to thicken the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Optional-stir in coconut milk and fresh chopped cilantro to finish.

  10. Hey Andrea, I’d just skip the milk and puree the beans, they will create enough creaminess on their own. Use water or broth if it gets too thick!

    Kate

  11. I have made your chicken tortilla soup a good 10-15 times since I found your blog last year. That recipe is phenomenal!!!!

  12. This was insanely good! I forgot the milk, but didn’t miss it. Yum, yum, yum – thanks so much for sharing!

  13. this was so good and filling. Made it a few weeks ago and the husband requested that I make it again! Adding it to the book of ‘keepers’

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