This 15 Bean Soup Recipe is a healthy, stick-to-your-ribs, comforting meal. Loaded with bacon, beans, and veggies, this easy soup is loved by kids and adults alike!
There’s nothing better than soup during these cold winter months. They’re cozy, they’re packed with good for you ingredients, and there’s SO many varieties (check out all our soup recipes!).
This 15 Bean Soup recipe is definitely a few favorite around here. It’s thick, hearty, and absolutely packed with flavor. What’s not to love?!
What beans are in 15 bean soup?
15 Bean Soup is a packaged dry bean soup product that contains northern, pinto, large lima, yelloweye, garbanzo, baby lima, green split, kidney, cranberry, small white, pink, small red, yellow split, lentil, navy, white kidney, and black beans.
Ingredients
Bacon is the secret ingredient to this bean soup. It adds a touch of smoky flavor and a great crispy texture!
- Bacon – provides a smoky flavor that brings out the savoriness of the ham and a crispy texture that compliments the al denté beans. Thick-cut bacon is preferred — I find it much easier to work with — but any bacon you have on hand will work. Place bacon into a cold pan, then slowly cook it over medium heat until crispy. Starting with a cold pan results in crispier bacon.
- Onion, Carrots, and Celery – aka a “mirepoix” is often used as a base for soups. It provides flavor, texture, and nutrients. Cooking the mirepoix in bacon fat makes them very flavorful. Be sure to dice the vegetables uniformly to ensure there’s veggies in every bite.
- Garlic – provides a subtle, nutty flavor and *bonus* is loaded with good-for-you vitamins and minerals. Today we’re using 1 tablespoon jarred minced garlic to save on prep time, but feel free to use fresh garlic, if preferred. 1 tablespoon minced garlic is equal to about 3-6 cloves.
- Chili Powder – adds a smoky, very subtly spicy flavor to the soup which enhances the flavor of the bacon. There are quite a few different chili powders: ancho, dark, light, Guajillo, but this recipe was tested with “dark” chili powder. Often you’ll just find “chili powder” at the grocery store, that will work too!
- Hursts 15 Bean Soup Mix – a packaged dry bean soup product that contains 15 different types of beans. The Hurst brand is most commonly found, but there are other varieties such as 13 bean and 16 bean dry bean soup products that should work as well. Look for a 20 oz bag that also contains a seasoning packet.
- Ham – cooked and cubed. This would be a great way to use up any leftover holiday ham. If you don’t have leftovers, any cooked and cubed/diced ham from the grocery store will work as well. Whatever you use, be sure it’s boneless.
- Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes – canned tomatoes that have been gently roasted over a fire. They add a bright, yet smoky flavor to the soup. If you don’t have fire roasted on hand, “regular” canned and diced tomatoes will work as a substitute.
- Red Wine Vinegar – adds a much needed bright, punchy flavor to the overall rich and smoky soup. Lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and apple cider vinegar may also be used.
- Parmesan – provides a nutty, salty, slightly “sharp” flavor to the soup. Use a finely grated parmesan and stir it into the soup right before serving so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
How to make
This soup requires NO soaking! Some recipes call for soaking the beans for 8 hours, which means planning in advance, but with a slightly longer simmer time: 2-3 hours, there’s no need to soak.
- Cook bacon in a large stockpot over until crispy. Remove and set aside.
- Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, chili powder, and seasoning packet from the soup mix, then sauté.
- Stir in the broth and bring to a boil.
- Stir in the beans, then simmer for 2-3 hours, or until the beans are cooked to your liking.
- Stir in ham, tomatoes, vinegar, cheese, and bacon, then taste and re-season.
Do you really have to buy 15 different beans?
No! Look for a packaged dry bean soup product that contains 15 different types of beans. You’ll find it next to the other dried beans and lentils at your local grocery store.
Do you soak the 15 beans before cooking?
No. While some recipes call for soaking the beans before cooking, this recipe does not; simmering the dried beans, covered, for 2-3 hours creates the perfect texture!
Some recipes call for soaking the beans to reduce cook time and it may also reduce some of the complex sugars to make the beans more digestible. If you choose to soak the beans beforehand, soak them in water for at 8 hours. You’ll need to reduce the liquid in this recipe by about a cup and reduce the cook time by about 45 minutes.
How to thicken
This soup as written is already very thick. If it’s not thickened to your liking, remove 1 cup of the cooked soup, blend it in a high powered blender, then stir it back in. Repeat until the desired consistency is reached.
Simmering the soup, uncovered, or stirring in a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch and water) may also be used to thicken the soup.
If you have the opposite problem and would like a thinner soup, stir in 1 cup of broth at a timer until the desired consistency has been reached. Taste and re-season, if necessary.
Is 15 bean soup healthy?
Yes, this soup is absolutely packed with good for you ingredients such as beans and vegetables! Beans are high in protein and fiber and the veggies: celery, carrots, and onion are brimming with vitamins and minerals.
1 large serving of soup contains less than 550 calories, 23 grams of fat, 53 grams of carbs, 14 grams of fiber, and 33 grams of protein. It’s also full of vitamin A and C, calcium, and iron. See the full nutrition label.
Variations
- Use another meat. Sliced smoked sausage, cubed rotisserie chicken, or cooked and crumbled sausage.
- Make it Cajun. Use a package of Cajun 15 Bean Soup. Replace the carrots with bell pepper, omit the chili powder, sprinkle in a cajun seasoning blend, and replace the ham with Andouille sausage.
- Make it broth-y. Stir in additional broth until the soup has reached your desired consistency.
- Spice it up. Serve with red pepper flakes or hot sauce.
- Make it vegan. Omit the bacon and ham and add in your favorite vegetables.
What to serve with 15 bean soup
I love serving this soup with bread for dunking next to a light salad!
How to store
Leftover soup will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
To enjoy again, thaw, if frozen, then microwave or heat on the stove to warm.
– Jennifer
15 Bean Soup Recipe
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 3 large carrots diced
- 3 ribs celery diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 (32 oz) cartons chicken broth
- 1 (20 oz) bag Hursts 15 Bean Soup Mix
- 1 pound cubed ham
- 1 (15 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan
- Salt to taste (I used 1 teaspoon)
Instructions
- Cook bacon in a large stockpot over medium heat until crispy.
- Remove, dice, and set aside, but leave grease in the pot.
- To the hot pot, add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, chili powder, and seasoning packet from the soup mix, then sauté for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the broth and bring to a boil.
- Stir in the beans, cover, reduce heat to low, then simmer for 2-3 hours, or until the beans are cooked to your liking.
- Stir in ham, tomatoes, vinegar, cheese, and bacon, then taste and re-season.
- Serve and enjoy!
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Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.