How to Prepare Delicious Navy Bean & Bacon Soup

Navy Bean & Bacon Soup. Navy Beans & Other Whole Foods: Whole Grain Cooking Our Specialty! The navy bean, haricot, pearl haricot bean, Boston bean, white pea bean, or pea bean is a variety of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) native to the Americas, where it was domesticated. It is a dry white bean that is smaller than many other types of white beans, and has an oval, slightly flattened shape.

Stick-to-your-ribs soups, hearty salads, and homey casseroles all can feature this versatile bean. Uncover the pot and skim the surface of the bean liquid from time to time to remove any scum that may have formed. Remove the pot from the heat, season the beans with salt and pepper to taste, and drain any excess liquid from the beans. You can have Navy Bean & Bacon Soup using 8 ingredients and 8 steps. Here is how you achieve that.

Ingredients of Navy Bean & Bacon Soup

1. You need 1 lb of dried navy beans.
2. Prepare 12 oz of thick cut bacon - slices cut across to 1/2" strips.
3. Prepare 1 of medium yellow onion - diced.
4. It's 1 tsp of garlic powder.
5. You need 2 tsp of dried parsley.
6. Prepare 6 cups of water.
7. You need 1 cup of diced carrots.
8. It's to taste of salt and pepper.

Served with homemade cornbread it was PHENOMENAL! One of the best bean soups I have had, with the tweaks. Perhaps it is not Navy Bean anymore, but I think the taste is quite a lot better. Boston baked beans have been a New England tradition for hundreds of years.

Navy Bean & Bacon Soup instructions

1. Sort beans to remove any broken/bad beans or other abnormalities. Such as what is pictured here..
2. Soak beans using one of the 2 following methods. Overnight: Place beans in a large bowl with 6-8 cups cold water and allow to soak at least 12 hrs. OR Quick Soak (which I prefer): Place beans in large pot (about 6 quart size). Add 6-8 cups cold water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Boil 2 minutes. Turn off heat, cover, let sit 1-2 hrs. Drain and rinse beans in a large colander. Set aside. Do not save soak water..
3. If you quick soaked just rinse the pot you used. Place pot on stove over medium-high heat. When hot add all of bacon. Cook until browned and crisp, stirring occasionally..
4. Add onion, garlic powder, and parsley (do not remove bacon or drain fat). Cook 2 minutes more stirring constantly. Return beans to pot. Add 6 cups cold water. Stir to combine. Do NOT add any salt or pepper yet..
5. Bring to a boil for about 2 minutes. Cover with lid slightly offset to vent. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer until beans are tender, about 2 hrs, adding carrots in last 30 minutes. Check and stir occasionally..
6. When beans are tender use a slotted spoon to transfer about 1/2 cup to a medium bowl. Mash beans with fork and stir back into soup. Add salt and pepper to taste at this time (I went with a heaping tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp pepper). Serve with cornbread if desired. Enjoy!.
7. See notes below ⤵.
8. For those who do not know, the primary reason for not salting beans as they cook is because the added salt has the tendency to prevent the beans from becoming tender. I'm personally not sure of the exact reason, but I do know from personal experience that this is accurate so I always salt beans after they are tender..

This classic "Beantown" recipe starts with dried navy beans, and is easy to make in an afternoon, using bacon, molasses, and a few common pantry ingredients. Plan to soak dried beans overnight before cooking. Navy beans are a common type of bean native to the Americas. They are small, dry, white, and have a somewhat flattened oval shape. Popular preparations for navy beans include baked bean dishes, pies, and soups.