White Bean Soup With Bacon

Simple ingredients like dry white beans and plenty of bacon add up to one satisfying soup.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated September 20, 2023
Elise Bauer
Bean and Bacon Soup Recipe
Elise Bauer

Did a parent ever tell you that when they were a kid, they walked 10 miles to school every day, barefoot, in the snow?

My dad did, and I believed him for years. He was from Minnesota; they had snow there. We lived in Los Angeles—palm trees, no snow. How was I to know?

We grew up with hearty soups, even though in Los Angeles, there was maybe one month a year when it really made sense to eat them.

Homemade Bean and Bacon Soup
Elise Bauer

Soup Weather Means Bean Soup Time

So now, anytime it's cool enough to wear socks, it's soup weather as far as I'm concerned. Right?

Speaking of which, I'm always delighted by how good pork, in any form, and beans are together. This classic white bean and bacon soup is the brother to white bean and ham soup and is just as belly warming.

There's just enough bacon to give the white bean soup plenty of flavor but not so much as to weigh you down. We've pureed about half of the soup so that it is chunky, with a creamy base that comes from the beans. Enjoy!

The Salt Question With Bean and Bacon Soup 

The salt content of this soup will vary based on the saltiness of the bacon and the stock used. Taste for salt at different points. You'll add salt in Step 3, but be sure to taste the soup again in Step 5, so you can adjust with more salt if needed. 

If you're concerned that the soup will be too salty, start with salt-free stock. You'll need to taste along the way and add more salt than if you started with salted stock, but you'll be able to control the sodium level more carefully.

No Bacon? No Problem

Omitting the bacon in this soup will create a different recipe, but some commenters have used these substitutes for the bacon with success:

  • Use smoked turkey instead of bacon.
  • Use small pieces of diced ham instead of bacon.
  • Use smoked pork belly instead of bacon.
  • Use crisp bacon as a topping instead of adding it to the soup, adding a little bacon flavor without as much bacon (and fat) as the original.
  • Make it vegan: Use vegan stock, 2 packs of tempeh, smoked paprika, and mesquite liquid smoke to give it smokiness without the bacon.

Reader Variations on Bean and Bacon Soup

Our readers have shared lots of great ideas for making this soup their own. Try one!

  • littlenemo: "I always use slightly less water and then cook it till it is thick. Just before serving I thin it with milk. I also use a little liquid smoke if needed."
  • Paul: "My mom used to replace half the stock with tomato or V8 juice and then add a bit of sauerkraut. So delicious."
  • Roger: "I had boiled the Easter ham bone and used the stock for 4 of the 6 cups of broth! No waste, and a delicious soup!."
  • Janet: "I also used smoked paprika instead of the regular to give it a little more smoky flavour. "
  • Tammy: "My mother in law also adds diced chicken, a few cooked carrots and well drained sauerkraut in after it's been pureed it adds a whole new level to the soup."


5 More Hearty Soups for Cold Weather

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

White Bean Soup With Bacon

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 90 mins
Bean soaking 8 hrs
Total Time 9 hrs 45 mins
Servings 6 to 8 servings

In this recipe, we are making the bean soup starting with dry beans that we soak overnight. If you don't have time to soak beans overnight, you can put the beans into a pot of water, bring the water to a boil, remove from heat, and let sit for an hour, and then drain. Presoaking the beans will help them cook faster.

If you would rather work with canned beans, use three to four (15-ounce) cans of drained white beans and cook them in Step 3 for only 15 minutes, not an hour.

Ingredients

For the Soup:

  • 1 pound dry Great Northern white beans, covered with a couple inches of water and soaked overnight

  • 5 ounces bacon, cut into 1/2-inch-wide pieces

  • 1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)

  • 2 ribs celery, chopped (3/4 cup)

  • 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped (3/4 cup)

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

  • 6 cups chicken stock

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste

  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika

For Serving:

  • 1 ounce bacon (1 to 2 slices), cooked and crumbled for garnish, optional

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional

Special Equipment

  • Immersion blender

Method

  1. Drain the beans:

    Drain the beans that have been soaking in water. (If you haven't already soaked the beans, and you don't have time to do so overnight, you can put them in a large pot of water, bring to a boil, remove from heat and let sit for an hour, then drain.)

  2. Cook the bacon and the vegetables:

    Put the bacon into a large (5 to 6 quart) thick-bottomed Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Let the bacon cook for a minute or two to start rendering out some of its fat, then add the chopped onion, celery, and carrot.

    Lower the heat to low, cover, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are completely cooked through and softened. Add the garlic and cook a minute more.

    bacon for white bean soup
    Elise Bauer
    vegetables for bean and bacon soup
    Elise Bauer
  3. Add the beans, stock, seasonings, then simmer:

    Add the drained beans to the pot. Add the stock, the bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper.

    Increase the heat to high to bring to a simmer. Then, lower the heat to maintain a simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour or until the beans are very soft.

    white beans soup recipe
    Elise Bauer
    making bean and bacon soup
    Elise Bauer
  4. Add the tomato paste and paprika:

    Stir in the tomato paste and the paprika. Cook for 5 more minutes.

    Bean with bacon soup
    Elise Bauer
    puree bean soup with stick blender
    Elise Bauer
  5. Puree half the soup:

    Remove the bay leaves. Using an immersion blender, puree most of the soup. You don't want the soup to be perfectly smooth, but you want to puree enough of it so that the beans create a creamy base.

    Add more salt and pepper to taste.

    Garnish with crumbled cooked bacon and chopped parsley (optional) to serve.

  6. Store:

    Refrigerate covered soup for up to four days. (The soup will probably taste even better after sitting for one day.)

    Freeze cooled soup in a freezer-safe zipper bag or container for up to three months.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
380 Calories
9g Fat
51g Carbs
24g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 380
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 23mg 8%
Sodium 984mg 43%
Total Carbohydrate 51g 19%
Dietary Fiber 13g 48%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 24g
Vitamin C 9mg 47%
Calcium 139mg 11%
Iron 4mg 24%
Potassium 1301mg 28%
*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.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.