Creamy White Bean Soup (Printer Friendly)

Velvety soup featuring white beans, smoky bacon, and fragrant rosemary for warm comfort.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 5 oz thick-cut bacon, diced

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

→ Beans

06 - 2 cans (14 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

→ Liquids

07 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
08 - 1/2 cup heavy cream

→ Herbs and Seasonings

09 - 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
10 - 1 bay leaf
11 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 - Salt to taste

→ Garnish

13 - Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
14 - Fresh chopped parsley, optional

# Directions:

01 - In a large pot over medium heat, cook diced bacon until crisp, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, retaining approximately 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pot.
02 - Add chopped onion, diced carrots, and diced celery to the pot with the bacon fat. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until vegetables are softened and translucent.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent browning.
04 - Add drained beans, broth, rosemary sprigs, bay leaf, black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
05 - Remove rosemary sprigs and bay leaf from the pot. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until creamy and velvety. Alternatively, transfer soup in batches to a blender, blend carefully, and return to the pot.
06 - Stir in heavy cream and most of the cooked bacon, reserving some for serving. Simmer for 5 additional minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into serving bowls. Garnish with reserved bacon pieces, a drizzle of olive oil, and chopped parsley if desired. Serve hot.

# Pro Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, but honest to goodness, you'll have it ready in under an hour.
  • The bacon fat does the heavy lifting—it's a shortcut that doesn't feel like cheating, just smart cooking.
  • One pot, minimal cleanup, maximum comfort in a bowl.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans—that cloudy liquid will make your soup starchy and murky instead of silky.
  • Add the cream near the end and never let it boil hard after you add it, or it can break and lose that velvety quality you worked for.
03 -
  • Make this soup the day before if you can—the flavors meld and deepen overnight, and it actually tastes better reheated gently on the stovetop.
  • If you don't have an immersion blender, a standard blender works just fine, but blend in batches and let the soup cool slightly to avoid steam explosions that are as dramatic as they are dangerous.
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