Bean Bacon Soup Recipe

A hearty and flavorful bean and bacon soup recipe inspired by Campbell's, but elevated with homemade goodness and premium Schmidt's Meat Market bacon! This recipe uses a ham hock for extra depth of flavor and is perfect for a cozy winter night. Get ready for a taste sensation that rivals your favorite canned soup – and maybe even surpasses it! This large batch recipe is easily halved for smaller servings. Experience the difference high-quality ingredients make.

Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 2880 mins
Calories 137.6 kcal
Protein 8g
Rating 4.0 (1 Reviews)
Bean Bacon Soup 96

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Recipe Author

Chef Forktionary, author of this recipe

Recipe adapted from Food.com. Standardized by Forktionary.

Ingredients for Bean Bacon Soup

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How to Make Bean Bacon Soup

  1. Soak 1 pound dried beans overnight. Drain and rinse thoroughly.
  2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine 3 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 (2-3 pound) ham hock, 2 whole cloves garlic, and 1 medium onion (roughly chopped).
  3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
  4. While the ham hock simmers, peel and finely chop 1 large carrot.
  5. Finely mince 4-6 cloves garlic (adjust to your taste).
  6. After 1 hour, remove the ham hock (reserve for later). Finely chop the onion from the broth. Add the chopped carrot, minced garlic, and soaked beans to the pot.
  7. Add 6-8 cups additional water to cover the beans. Add more as needed throughout cooking.
  8. Stir in 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste), and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
  9. While the soup simmers, fry 8 ounces Schmidt's bacon until crisp. Reserve the bacon grease.
  10. Remove the bacon from the pan and crumble it, discarding any very hard bits. Reserve the meaty parts.
  11. Add the crumbled bacon and reserved bacon grease to the soup.
  12. Cover and continue to simmer for at least another hour, stirring occasionally.
  13. Remove from heat and let sit overnight. The next day, simmer for 2 hours. (For best flavor, let the ham hock simmer until serving.)
  14. Optional: For a creamier texture, remove about 1-2 cups of soup, blend until smooth, and stir back into the pot.

Nutrition Information (Approximate per serving)

Sodium

25 g

Sugar

7g

Fat

13g

Carbs

4g