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. 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! 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.
White Bean and Bacon Soup With No Bacon?
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.
How to Store White Bean and Bacon Soup
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.
5 More Hearty Soups for Cold Weather
Creamy Mushroom Chestnut Soup Mom’s Turkey Soup Chicken Mulligatawny Soup Minestrone Soup Parsnip Soup With Leaks
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.
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
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. 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. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with crumbled cooked bacon and chopped parsley (optional) to serve.
