How to Make Bean Soup

overhead shot of a spoon full of bean soup

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How to Make Bean Soup

This easy bean soup is so simple it only requires 5 basic pantry ingredients to make. It's loaded with creamy white beans, hearty vegetables and salty, smoky bacon for a soup that's warm, satisfying and so comforting on a chilly day!

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 2

Total Time: 2 15

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 230kcal

Author: Nicole Gaffney

Ingredients

½ lb bacon diced
1 Spanish onion large, finely diced (about 2 cups)
2 carrots medium, finely diced (about 2 cups)
5 ribs celery finely diced (about 2 cups)
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic minced (optional)
1 lb great northern beans or cannellini beans, soaked overnight* and drained
2 quarts water 8 cups
1 Parmesan cheese rind optional

Instructions

Saute the bacon over medium low heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Cook the bacon slowly, stirring occasionally, over relatively low heat so that it renders out most of it’s fat. After about 20 minutes, the bacon will be crisp and there will be quite a bit of fat in the pan. Drain out as much fat as possible and reserve it for another use if desired.
Saute the onion, carrot, and celery with the remaining bacon (there should still be a thin coating of fat). Season with salt and pepper. After about 10 minutes, the vegetables should be translucent.
Add the garlic, if using, and saute for about 2 minutes more. Add the beans, water, and parmesan cheese rind (if using).
Taste the broth and then season liberally with salt and pepper – since we’re using water, it will take quite a bit of salt to make it taste flavorful.
Cover and simmer for about 1½ hours or until the beans are tender. Time will vary depending on the beans you use.
Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Use the back of a fork to smash a few beans against the side of the pot to thicken it slightly. Remove the parmesan cheese rind (if using) and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and crusty bread on the side.

Notes

If you didn’t soak your beans overnight, you can use the quick soak method: Cover beans with water and bring up to a boil. Cover and turn off the heat and let soak for 1 hour. Proceed with recipe as written.
You can substitute 3-4 cans of beans in place of the dried beans. Reduce the water to 5 cups and only simmer for 30 minutes (or more if desired).
This soup is meant to be simple - it has plenty of flavor as written but you can gussy it up however you want:
- Add a handful of chopped kale or baby spinach leaves to add a few more greens
- Swap out the water for stock, add a bouillon cube or different herbs and spices to add even more flavor to the broth.

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