15 Bean Soup
Best 15 Bean Soup Recipe – Learn how to turn a simple bag of dried beans soup mix into a delicious and hearty meal with only a handful of additional ingredients, like savory bacon and fresh veggies.
Why We Love This Easy Soup Recipe
Bagged soup blends have always been a favorite of mine… They are super handy, and as the concept has been around for generations, there is something so familiar and comforting about making them for a rustic meal. This classic 15 Bean Soup recipe is made with a bag of dried beans soup mix, which is a combination of, you guessed it, 15 different types of beans plus a small seasoning packet.
We’ve added plenty of vegetables, chopped bacon, and aromatics to make the beans shine. However, we didn’t add spice here so this was a mild and comforting dish. The soup mix packet already packs a lot of delicious flavor!
The beans are soaked overnight (or with a quick-soaking method) before simmering low and slow on the stovetop. It’s a hearty dish that is oh-so-cozy and satisfying on a cool weekend night.
Overnight Soaking vs Quick Soaking Dried Beans
It’s important to note that dried beans traditionally should be soaked overnight before cooking. This allows the beans to absorb the water so they cook evenly, and don’t disintegrate as they cook. However, if you want to make this soup and didn’t think to soak your beans the night before, you can use a quick-boil method.
The quick boil method isn’t actually quick… The soup still needs to cook for approximately two hours. But it is much quicker than soaking overnight and then simmering for several hours. We offer both methods below, but it’s always best to soak the beans if you have the time.
Ingredients You Need
- 15 Bean Soup Mix – including the seasoning packet
- Water – for the broth base
- Bacon – chopped
- Onion – chopped
- Bell pepper – any color, seeded and chopped
- Carrots – sliced
- Celery – sliced
- Garlic – minced
- Chicken base – regular or low sodium
- Dried thyme – for a deep earthy and cozy flavor
- Black pepper – a generous amount for a nice kick of spice
- Lemon juice – the bright acid is the perfect finishing touch
- Parsley – fresh chopped, to garnish
- Parmesan cheese – shaved or shredded, to garnish
How to Make the Best 15 Bean Soup
The night before making this soup recipe, open the bag and pick through the beans to remove any small pieces of gravel or debris. Then place the dried beans in a large bowl and cover with at least 1 inch of water. Cover the top with plastic wrap and allow the beans to soak overnight. Make sure to keep the seasoning packet from the bag of beans. Once the beans have soaked for at least 12 hours, drain off the water.
Set a large 6-8 quart soup pot (or dutch oven) over medium heat. Add 10 cups of water to the pot, along with the soaked beans. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer. Cover the pot and gently simmer the beans for approximately 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. *Do not add any seasoning at this point.
Get the Complete (Printable) 15 Bean Soup Recipe with Measurements Below. Enjoy!
Meanwhile, set a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon to the pan and cook the bacon until brown. Then stir in the chopped onions, bell peppers, carrots, celery, and garlic. Stir and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes. Then turn off the heat and set aside.
Once the beans have simmered for at least 1 ½ hours, open the pot, and pour in the sautéed bacon and veggies. Stir in the chicken base, the seasoning packet from the bag of beans, dried thyme, and black pepper. Allow the beans and vegetables to simmer together for another 30 minutes.
Then add lemon juice and fresh parsley. Taste, and season the 15 bean soup with additional salt and pepper if desired.
How to Make Bean Soup with Quick Soaking Method
Again, this cooking method still takes a couple of hours, but it’s certainly quicker than soaking the beans overnight, if you don’t have time.
- Set a large 6 to 8-quart sauce pot soup pot over medium-high heat. Add 12 cups of water to the pot, along with the dried beans. Bring to a boil. Cover the pot and rapidly boil the beans for approximately 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. (Do not add any seasoning at this point.)
- It’s important to note, that since you’re boiling the beans, not just simmering, the water may evaporate quite a bit, even with a heavy lid. Make sure to stir the beans every 15 to 20 minutes and add additional water if needed, so they don’t stick and burn to the bottom of the pot.
- At the end of 1 ½ hours, if there is very little water left in your beans, add in the vegetables and remaining ingredients, then add enough water to fill the pot back up to about 2 inches from the top rim.
- Then lower the heat and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
This rustic 15 bean soup recipe practically begs for a side of warm and crusty bread. (Extra butter, please, and thank you!) Slices or hunks of French or Italian bread, easy garlic bread, homemade breadsticks, yeast rolls, or 1-hour garlic knots are all perfect for dunking and sopping up every bit of broth.
Make it a well-rounded comfort food meal with a salad on the side! We love a crisp and fresh steakhouse-style Caesar, or crunchy kale Caesar, or even just a simple bed of greens.
Frequently Asked Questions
The soup will thicken as it simmers, and continue to get a bit thicker once served in bowls and cools. For an even thicker soup you can use a potato masher to smush some of the cooked beans in the pot.
Leftover bean and bacon soup is delicious! Cool completely and transfer the soup to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Yes, this soup freezes very well! Let the 15 bean soup cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container. I recommend wrapping the container in one or two layers of aluminum foil as well, for extra protection. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Looking for More Easy Soup Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
15 Bean Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 20 ounce bag 15 bean soup mix + seasoning packet
- 10-12 cups water
- 4-5 strips bacon chopped
- 1 onion chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 1 ½ cups sliced carrots
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons chicken base or bullion
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Prep the Beans: The night before making this soup, open the bag and pick through the beans to remove any small pieces of gravel or debris. Then place the dried beans in a large bowl and cover with at least 1 inch of water. Cover the top with plastic wrap and allow the beans to soak overnight. Make sure to keep the seasoning packet from the bag of beans. Once the beans have soaked for at least 12 hours, drain off the water.
- Set a large 6-8 quart soup pot over medium heat. Add 10 cups of water to the pot, along with the soaked beans. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer. Cover the pot and gently simmer the beans for approximately 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. (Do not add any seasoning at this point.)
- Meanwhile, set a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon to the pan and cook the bacon until brown. Then stir in the chopped onions, bell peppers, carrots, celery, and garlic. Stir and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes. Then turn off the heat and set aside.
- Once the beans have simmered for at least 1 ½ hours, open the pot, and pour in the sautéed bacon and veggies. Stir in the chicken base, the seasoning packet from the bag of beans, dried thyme, and black pepper. Allow the beans and vegetables to simmer together for another 30 minutes.
- Then add lemon juice and fresh parsley. Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
Notes
- Set a large 6 to 8 quart sauce pot soup pot over medium-high heat. Add 12 cups of water to the pot, along with the dried beans. Bring to a boil. Cover the pot and rapidly boil the beans for approximately 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. (Do not add any seasoning at this point.)
- It’s important to note, that since you’re boiling the beans, not just simmering, the water may evaporate quite a bit, even with a heavy lid. Make sure to stir the beans every 15 to 20 minutes and add additional water if needed, so they don’t stick and burn to the bottom of the pot.
- At the end of 1 ½ hours, if there is very little water left in your beans, add in the vegetables and remaining ingredients, then add enough water to fill the pot back up to about 2 inches from the top rim.
- Then lower the heat and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
So good. I blitzed a can of cherry tomatoes to add, smoked paprika & a smoked ham hock. Best ever.
wow, wow, wow! who knew that a bean soup could be this good! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!