Food Recipes Soups White Bean Soup with Bacon and Herbs 5.0 (2,200) 6 Reviews Warming but light, this white bean soup recipe takes inspiration from Spanish caldo gallego. A crisp bacon garnish adds a smoky, salty depth of flavor. By Jose Garces Jose Garces Chef Jose Garces is regarded as a culinary expert in Spanish and Latin American cuisine, known for his expertise as an Iron Chef, a James Beard Award winner, an entrepreneur, and a food innovator with a restaurant group in Philadelphia. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 16, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: © Petrina Tinslay Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 2 hrs Yield: 12 servings Frequently asked questions What are Great Northern beans? Native to North America, Great Northern beans are medium-sized white beans with a mild, nutty taste, firm flesh, and slightly grainy texture. They're great for soup because they hold their shape in the broth and become infused with the flavors of the other ingredients; you'll want to soak them overnight for this recipe. Great Northerns are similar to navy beans and cannellini beans, so feel free to use what you have on hand. The Simplest, Most Delicious Way to Cook Dried Beans How do you thicken bean and bacon soup? As written, this is meant to be a brothy soup with whole beans and finely chopped veggies throughout; individual bowls are served with the bacon sprinkled on top. If you prefer a thicker white bean soup that still has some texture, you can transfer half to a food processor or blender and puree it, then add it back to the pot. Alternatively, you can give the soup a couple of whizzes with an immersion blender to puree just a portion of it. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen The Spanish dish caldo gallego is the inspiration for this warming soup, combining the heartiness of white beans and crisp bacon with a light, herb-infused broth. To keep things vegetarian, you can swap the bacon fat for olive oil or butter and top the soup with another crunchy garnish of your liking, such as croutons. The longest part of the process is allowing the soup to simmer and all the flavors to meld, but your patience will pay off. Make ahead The white bean soup and bacon can be refrigerated separately for up to three days. Recrisp the bacon before serving. Suggested pairing Bright, citrusy Albariño is lovely with this white bean soup. Ingredients 1 1/4 pounds thick-sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 Spanish onion, finely chopped 1 large carrot, finely diced 2 celery ribs, finely diced 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 fresh bay leaf 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided 1 pound dried Great Northern beans, soaked overnight and drained 10 cups chicken stock Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Directions In a large soup pot, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, about 7 minutes. Drain, reserving the fat and bacon separately. Heat the olive oil in the soup pot. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon each of the chopped thyme and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the drained beans, stock, and 3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat and bring to a boil. Simmer the soup over moderately low heat until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Discard the bay leaf and stir in the remaining thyme and rosemary. Season the soup with salt and pepper and transfer to shallow bowls. Garnish the soup with the bacon and serve. Originally appeared: November 2008 Rate It Print