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This creamy broccoli and white bean soup with crispy bacon bits is made extra creamy thanks to the addition of white beans! They become magic when blended into this soup leaving you with an extra creamy soup, minus any cream!
Creamy Broccoli and White Bean Soup with Crispy Bacon Nibs
Think of this soup as the cousin to cheddar broccoli. It’s more protein-packed (thank you white beans!). Lighter on the cheese. LOADED with broccoli. And so delicious!
The pairing of bacon bits adds a really nice flavor to the whole soup.
Serve with extra cheese and your favorite easy crusty bread!
What you’ll need for this recipe
How to make creamy broccoli and white bean soup
- In a large pot over medium heat at the bacon. Sauté until the bacon is crispy. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel to drain. Keep about 1 tbsp bacon grease in the pot. Add the leek to the pot and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then pour in the broth, broccoli, sea salt, and pepper.
- Cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until the broccoli is fork-tender, but not mushy. Add the beans to the pot to heat.
- Add the cheese, then blend the soup either in batches in the blender, or with an immersion blender until creamy. Return to the pot to keep warm.
- Crumble the cooked bacon into bits. Serve the soup with crispy bacon bits and extra cheese if desired.
Substitution ideas
- Need this dairy free? Simply omit the cheddar and add 2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- Looking to make this vegetarian? Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and omit the bacon using avocado oil to saute your leek in instead
- Don’t have leek? Saute yellow onion instead and add 1 chopped carrot for a little more sweetness as well
- Double this soup and freeze the leftovers
More soup recipes to try
- Instant pot broccoli cheddar soup
- Healing chicken turmeric soup
- Creamy black bean soup
- Crockpot split pea soup with ham
- Crockpot chicken noodle and kale soup
Creamy Broccoli and White Bean Soup with Crispy Bacon Bits
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 leek, white and light green parts diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups chicken bone broth
- 6 cups frozen broccoli
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat at the bacon. Sauté until the bacon is crispy. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel to drain. Keep about 1 tbsp bacon grease in the pot. Add the leek to the pot and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then pour in the broth, broccoli, sea salt, and pepper.
- Cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until the broccoli is fork-tender, but not mushy. Add the beans to the pot to heat.
- Add the cheese, then blend the soup either in batches in the blender, or with an immersion blender until creamy. Return to the pot to keep warm.
- Crumble the cooked bacon into bits. Serve the soup with crispy bacon bits and extra cheese if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you try this recipe, I’d love it if you left a star rating and comment below letting me know how it turned out!
XO
Heather
*Originally published in January 2011. Updated March 2021.*
Ooo a green soup! Gotta love that 🙂 This looks delicious…
Congrats on the half 🙂 You rock. And you know I’m green soup obsessed! This looks amazing. I want to make it, with prosciutto for the man and without for me! Deliciousness
i love this soup… broccoli and bean soup sounds amazing! thanks for sharing this.
I used to obsessively count calories and plan out every meal at the beginning of my day. No matter what I was craving, I would eat my pre-planned meal. Now I eat whatever I want, and I love it 🙂
That’s the best way to eat – it’s much more fun too!
hahaha “The bacon stole the vegetarian thunder” love that. this looks good!
Well.. for me, I still consider it a healthy meal. The only thing I’d do is change the bacon to turkey bacon since I don’t eat pork at all. The soup looks delicious Heather and very original.
turkey bacon would be super tasty in this too! Great idea Faith