Description

This hearty Navy Bean Soup is a comforting and nutritious meal, featuring tender navy beans, crisp bacon, and a medley of sautéed vegetables enriched with tomato paste and fresh herbs. Versatile and flavorful, it can be prepared using an Instant Pot, stovetop, or slow cooker, making it perfect for any kitchen setup. Finished with fresh spinach and a bacon topping, it’s a wholesome dish ideal for any season.

Ingredients

Scale

Beans and Broth

3 (15 oz) cans navy beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

Vegetables and Herbs

1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 large celery stalk, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary (or bouquet garni)
3 cups baby spinach

Meat

4 slices center cut bacon, chopped

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Instructions

Blend Beans: In a blender, blend 1 can of navy beans with 1 cup of water until smooth. This will help thicken the soup later.
Cook Bacon: Using your preferred method—Instant Pot, stovetop, or slow cooker—start by cooking the chopped bacon until crisp in the respective cooking vessel or skillet. Once crisp, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain excess fat.
Sauté Vegetables: Add chopped onion, carrot, and celery to the pot or skillet with some bacon fat and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste to enhance flavor.
Combine Ingredients: Add the pureed beans, the remaining whole canned beans, reduced sodium chicken broth, fresh rosemary sprig or bouquet garni, and bay leaves into the cooking vessel.
Cook Soup: Depending on your cooking method, proceed as follows:
- Instant Pot: Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Release pressure afterward.
- Stovetop: Bring the soup to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 25 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Slow Cooker: Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Thicken Soup: Remove rosemary sprig and bay leaves. Scoop 2 cups of soup into the blender until smooth to thicken the soup base, then return it to the pot.
Finish with Spinach and Bacon: Stir in fresh baby spinach until wilted, then add back the crispy bacon pieces. Adjust salt if needed.
Serve: Ladle the soup into six bowls and enjoy hot.

Notes

Rinsing the canned beans reduces excess sodium and improves flavor.
Using reduced sodium chicken broth helps control the saltiness of the soup.
The soup can be easily made vegetarian by omitting bacon and using vegetable broth instead.
For extra thickness, increase the number of pureed beans or simmer longer.
Fresh rosemary can be replaced with dried rosemary if necessary but reduce the quantity as it’s more potent.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1.5 cups)
Calories: 280
Sugar: 4 g
Sodium: 450 mg
Fat: 8 g
Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 38 g
Fiber: 10 g
Protein: 18 g
Cholesterol: 25 mg