Creamy White Bean Soup (Printable Version)

Velvety soup with tender white beans, smoky bacon, and fragrant rosemary for cozy meals.

# The Ingredients You'll 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 or navy beans, drained and rinsed

→ Liquids

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

→ Herbs & 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 olive oil, for drizzling
14 - Fresh chopped parsley, optional

# Step-by-Step Instructions:

01 - In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the diced bacon until crisp, about 5–7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving about 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pot.
02 - Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté for 6–8 minutes, until softened.
03 - Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add the drained beans, broth, rosemary, bay leaf, pepper, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
05 - Remove the rosemary sprigs and bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until creamy. Alternatively, transfer in batches to a blender and blend carefully, then return to the pot.
06 - Stir in the heavy cream and most of the cooked bacon, reserving some for serving. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Serve hot, garnished with reserved bacon, a drizzle of olive oil, and chopped parsley if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The bacon fat does all the heavy lifting—it's the secret backbone that makes everything taste intentional and rich without feeling heavy.
  • An immersion blender means you're done in under an hour and cleaning up is actually manageable.
  • It's flexible enough to feed a crowd or stretch into multiple quiet lunches, and it tastes better the next day.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans—the starchy liquid makes the soup cloudy and gives it a weird film on top that nobody wants.
  • Blend it properly or you'll end up with a chunky situation that tastes less intentional; the whole point is that velvety texture.
03 -
  • If your cream looks like it's separating or breaking, that usually means your pot is too hot—turn it down and stir gently, and it'll come back together.
  • Taste the soup before you serve it and never trust salt amounts in recipes because everything else affects how salty it needs to be.
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