This delicious, hearty navy bean soup is inexpensive and easy to make, plus leftovers are even better the next day! Cook it on the stovetop, or in your Instant Pot or slow cooker.
There’s a chill in the air this week which is putting me in soup mode. It’s also putting me in curl up with a book under a cozy throw while dinner is simmering in the kitchen mode—do you feel me? This navy bean soup is perfect for cold weather and it uses pantry staples such as canned beans and broth. (This 16 Bean Soup and Pasta Fagiole have similar vibes.)
Why I Love This Navy Bean Soup Recipe
- Tasty bacon. Bacon makes everything better, and it contributes lots of flavor to this navy bean soup. If you don’t eat pork, turkey bacon would be great here too.
- Three cooking options. Make this soup on the stovetop, cook it low and slow in your crockpot, or speed things up in your Instant Pot. I have directions for all three methods in the recipe card below!
- Hearty and satisfying. The fiber and protein in the beans help make this soup filling so you won’t be hungry later!
What You’ll Need
The ingredient list for this recipe is short and sweet! Scroll down to the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Navy beans – Using canned beans instead of dried means this soup cooks up quickly.
- Bacon – I use center-cut bacon. As mentioned above, you can swap in turkey bacon if you’d like.
- Onion, carrot, and celery – A classic trio used to make soups flavorful.
- Tomato paste – I love the addition of tomato paste to add depth to the broth.
- Chicken broth – Use reduced-sodium broth so you can season the soup to your tastes.
- Bay leaves and rosemary – These infuse the navy bean soup with flavor as it simmers.
- Baby spinach – An easy way to add some nutrition to the soup since it doesn’t need to be prepped and it wilts into the soup at the end of the cooking time.
How to Make Navy Bean Soup
See the recipe card below for printable instructions. There, you’ll also find the instructions for making this soup in your slow cooker or Instant Pot.
- Blend beans and water. Add a can of beans and a cup of water to your blender and process until the mixture is smooth.
- Crisp the bacon. Cook the bacon in a large pot, then transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Cook the vegetables. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook them in the bacon drippings until they’re soft.
- Simmer. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the pureed beans, whole beans, broth, and herbs. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 25 minutes.
- Puree. Transfer 2 cups of soup to your blender and puree. Stir this back into the soup.
- Finish. Stir the spinach into the pot of soup. Once it wilts, ladle the soup into bowls and top each with the cooked bacon.
Tips and Variations
- Don’t skip the pureeing. To thicken the soup, I pureed 1 can of beans with water before cooking, then once it was cooked I pureed 2 cups of the cooked soup and mixed it all together leaving the rest a little chunky. It really makes this soup hearty!
- Use an immersion blender. If you’d like, you can use an immersion blender to blend the navy bean soup just a bit rather than transferring 2 cups of soup to the blender at the end of the cooking time.
- Try another bean. This recipe will work well with a variety of canned beans. Cannellini beans or Great Northern beans would be excellent.
Proper Storage
- Refrigerator: Transfer leftover navy bean soup to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. You can stir the bacon into the soup, store it separately, or cook fresh bacon just before reheating the soup.
- Freezer: Freeze this soup for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe storage bag or container. Thaw it in the refrigerator, then reheat according to the instructions below.
- To reheat: Warm up the soup in a pan on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave.
More Classic Soup Recipes
Yield: 6 Servings
Serving Size: 1 1/3 cups
Instant Pot
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In a blender, blend 1 can of beans with 1 cup of water.
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Press Saute button then cook the bacon until crisp. Set aside on paper towels.
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Add the onion, carrots and celery to the pot and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste then add the pureed beans, beans, broth, rosemary and bay leaves.
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Cook on high pressure 15 minutes. Let the pressure release, remove rosemary and bay leaves. Place 2 cups of the soup in the blender and puree to thicken, then add back to the soup along with the spinach and stir until wilted. To serve, ladle into 6 bowls and top with bacon.
Stove Top
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In a blender, blend 1 can of beans with 1 cup of water.
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Saute the bacon in a large pot until crisp. Set aside on paper towels.
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Add the onion, carrots and celery to the pot and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste then add the pureed beans, beans, broth, rosemary and bay leaves.
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Bring to a boil, cover and cook on low until the beans and vegetables are soft, about 25 minutes. Place 2 cups of the soup in the blender and puree to thicken, then add back to the soup along with the spinach and stir until wilted. To serve, ladle into 6 bowls and top with bacon.
Slow Cooker
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In a blender, blend 1 can of beans with 1 cup of water.
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Saute the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Set aside on paper towels.
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Add the onion, carrots and celery to the skillet and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker with the tomato paste, pureed beans, canned beans, broth, rosemary and bay leaves.
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Cover and cook low 8 hours. Remove rosemary and bay leaves. Place 2 cups of the soup in the blender and puree to thicken, then add back to the soup along with the spinach and stir until wilted, adjust salt to taste. To serve, ladle into 6 bowls and top with bacon.
Last Step:
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Serving: 1 1/3 cups, Calories: 211 kcal, Carbohydrates: 39 g, Protein: 15 g, Fat: 1.5 g, Saturated Fat: 0.5 g, Cholesterol: 2 mg, Sodium: 1150 mg, Fiber: 12 g, Sugar: 4 g
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