Description
Heartwarming bean with bacon soup delivers classic comfort from midwestern kitchens. Smoky bacon and tender beans blend perfectly for a soul-satisfying meal you’ll crave on chilly evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups navy beans, cooked (or 2 cans, drained and rinsed)
- 6 slices bacon, diced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 (8 oz/226 g) can tomato sauce
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 0.5 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Bacon Preparation: Crisp bacon in a large pot over medium heat until golden-brown and rendered. Remove bacon pieces, retaining the rich drippings.
- Vegetable Sauté: Introduce onions, carrots, and celery into bacon fat. Gently cook until vegetables soften and become translucent, releasing their aromatic essence.
- Flavor Enhancement: Add minced garlic and briefly toast to intensify its fragrant profile.
- Liquid Integration: Combine navy beans, chicken broth, water, tomato sauce, smoked paprika, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Flavor Development: Reduce heat, cover, and allow ingredients to meld together, developing a deep, complex taste profile for approximately 25 minutes.
- Textural Transformation: Partially purée a portion of the soup to create a luxurious, creamy consistency. Reincorporate the silky mixture into the main pot.
- Final Touches: Reintroduce crispy bacon pieces, reserving some for garnish. Season with salt and pepper to elevate the overall flavor profile.
- Serving Presentation: Ladle the soup into bowls, crown with reserved bacon fragments and optional fresh parsley. Serve alongside crusty bread for a complete culinary experience.
Notes
- Bacon Crispness Control: Render bacon slowly to ensure even, golden-brown texture without burning; medium heat prevents rapid charring and maintains optimal flavor.
- Vegetable Sauté Precision: Allow onions, carrots, and celery to caramelize gently, developing deep, sweet undertones that enhance the soup’s overall complexity.
- Blending Technique Mastery: When puréeing soup portion, remove bay leaf first and ensure partial blending creates a perfectly creamy yet textured consistency.
- Low-Sodium Adaptation: Replace traditional bacon with turkey bacon and low-sodium chicken broth for a heart-healthy version without compromising rich, smoky flavor profile.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg