This protein rich slow cooker bean and bacon soup is loaded with bacon, vegetables, packed with flavor and so easy to make. It is the perfect comfort food on a cold winter day.

I love a good hardy soup on a cold snowy January or February day. This slow cooker bean soup with bacon fits the bill perfectly and can be ready for you as you come home from work. In our house, we double the batch and eat it throughout the week for lunches. It is full of protein from the beans, bacon and broth along with all the healthy vegetables. This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, paleo and Whole 30 friendly. Other soup recipes you might enjoy our this healthy pumpkin bacon soup and this creamy fire roasted tomato chicken soup with avocado.

Ingredients

Bacon: adds salty and smoky flavor. Who doesn’t love bacon? It adds so much richness to the dish and easy to prep in a frying pan.
Broth: great source of protein and collagen. If you don’t have broth you can always sub out water but broth is a great way to get in extra protein and so good for your gut.
Northern Beans: these hearty beans give the soup a nutty flavoring.
Garlic: great for immune system. Garlic is anti inflammatory and helps with strengthening the body against infections.
Salt & Pepper: flavor enhancers that bring out the bold flavors of the soup.
Vegetables (Carrots, Celery, Onions): good source of fibers and balance with the protein. If you don’t have these particular vegetables you can always swap out your own- zucchini, yellow squash and any winter squashes could easily be used in place.

How to Make

Cut the bacon and over medium heat cook in a skillet pan.

Cut the vegetables as you like then add all the other ingredients to the slow cooker.

Transfer cooked beans into the slow cooker. If you are using canned beans, drain the cans then transfer in.

Cook on low heat for 6 hours or high heat for 4 hours.

What I love about this recipe

Protein rich meal: the bacon, beans and broth make this meal not only flavorful and hardy but lots of protein.
Easy to assemble: this meal can be assembled in under 15 minutes for prep work. You can then dump it all in the slow cooker and walk away. Come back in a few hours and have a delicious meal ready to go. It is great for those busy weeknights.
Very filling and tasty: the meat combined with the vegetables slow cooked gives this meal it’s rich flavors.
Easy recipe to batch cook: it is the perfect meal to meal prep for the week ahead. The simple ingredients make it very accessible to double or triple recipe. It is also very freezer friendly.
Simple ingredients: these ingredients are pantry staples for most people so nothing fancy that you have to get. You already have everything at home to use.

FAQ’s

1.) Can this be made on the stovetop? Absolutely, you would follow the instructions just add to a big stockpot instead of a slow cooker and cook over medium heat for 1 hour.

2.) Can I use ham instead of bacon? Yes, you can sub any kind of protein out that you wish. Ham is an excellent alternative to bacon.

3.) I don’t have northern beans, what can I use instead? Cannellini beans aka white kidney beans are a great alternative. You could also use pinto beans but understand the flavor will be slightly different.

4.) Do I need to soak beans before cooking? If you are using canned beans I don’t think you need to since they are soaking in water in the can already. If you are using dry beans, I would soak for 24 hours to help remove some of the indigestible sugars.

5.) What toppings might I add to the soup? Shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, crushed crackers and jalapeno peppers could all be used to doctor it up, if you desire.

Storage + Reheating

Refrigerator- place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freezer- place in a freezer bag or freezer safe container for up to 3 months.

Reheating- if taking out of refrigerator, place remaining soup in a stove top pot then over medium heat heat for 10 minutes. You can also place in a microwave safe bowl and warm it up for 1 minute. If taking out from the freezer, defrost in the refrigerator for 6 hours, then follow instructions above for stove top or microwave.

Other soup recipes you might enjoy