Recipe Background
Bacon and Bean Soup offers rich, deep flavors and comforting warmth.
Bacon and Bean Soup is a comfort classic, whispering warmth with each spoonful. It carries the inviting aroma of sizzling bacon and earthy beans, filling your kitchen with a cozy embrace. As the pot simmers, the medley of onions, celery, and carrots softens, their sweetness mingling with the savory broth. There's nothing quite like the anticipation of a hearty soup that promises deep, satisfying flavor in every bite.
The texture here is a delight—a harmony of tender beans and crisp bacon bits. Each spoonful offers a dance of contrasts, from the creamy beans to the taste of herbs floating in the rich broth. Don't hurry; let the soup simmer leisurely until those beans are tender. This patience allows flavors to deepen, rewarding you with a well-developed dish that celebrates slow cooking.
Sharing this soup feels like an act of love. Serve it hot, letting the collective sweet, smoky, and herbal notes wrap around conversations at the table. A sprinkle of grated parmesan adds a savory flourish, if you wish, creating a touch of luxury on a humble bowl of goodness. Whether for family dinner or a casual gathering, this dish brings warmth and comfort to every spoonful, weaving simple ingredients into a tasteful tapestry that everyone can enjoy.
Ingredients
- 1 pound great white northern beans picked over, rinsed, and soaked overnight
- 8 ounces bacon cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- red pepper flakes to taste
- 6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon thyme chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup parmigiano Reggiano or parmesan cheese optional, grated
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon parsley optional, chopped
Directions
- In a large saucepan, cook the bacon until crispy, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate and leave 2 tablespoons of the grease in the pan.
- Add the onions, the celery, and the carrots to the remaining bacon grease and cook over medium-high heat until tender, about 7-10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes to the veggie mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add 1/2 cup of the broth to the veggie mixture and bring to a simmer. While it simmers, deglaze the pan by scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
- Add the remaining broth, the beans, the thyme, and the bay leaves to the veggie mixture and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat of the soup to a simmer.
- Cover and simmer the soup until the beans are tender, about 1 hour 30 minutes-2 hours.
- Discard the bay leaves and turn off the heat.
- Stir the cheese into the soup until it melts.
- Add the remaining bacon to the soup and season with the salt and the pepper as needed.
- Garnish with the parsley and serve.
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