Heartwarming & Creamy: The Ultimate Potato, Green Bean & Bacon Soup Recipe
Indulge in the rich, creamy goodness of a soup that truly satisfies the soul. This flavorful blend of fresh green beans, tender potatoes, and crispy bacon creates a comforting meal perfect for any season. While it shines brightest with freshly picked garden green beans, its irresistible taste makes it a beloved dish enjoyed all year round.
A Beloved Recipe: The Enduring Popularity of Potato, Green Bean & Bacon Soup
Since its initial publication in July of 2015, this exquisite Potato, Green Bean & Bacon Soup recipe has garnered an incredible amount of attention and love. It quickly became a viral sensation, shared and pinned countless times across social media platforms. The overwhelming positive feedback from readers, who frequently write in to express their adoration for this dish, truly warms our hearts.
As Kelly P. beautifully put it, “Yes! This was delicious! Thank you for sharing – it’s a keeper =)” This sentiment perfectly encapsulates the universal appeal of this rustic yet refined soup. It’s more than just a recipe; it’s a culinary experience that brings comfort and joy to tables everywhere.
Garden Fresh or Grocery Store Finds: Enjoying this Soup All Year
While the magic of this soup is undoubtedly amplified when you can harvest crisp, vibrant green beans directly from your garden, its deliciousness isn’t limited by seasonality. Living in the Midwest, access to garden-fresh produce varies, but we’ve found that modern grocery stores consistently offer high-quality fresh green beans year-round. This means our family can enjoy this delightful soup whenever the craving strikes, much to the delight of my youngest son, who considers it a top favorite!
We understand the joy of visual learning, which is why we’ve recently updated this post to include a detailed recipe video. Now, you can follow along visually, ensuring every step is clear and leading you to a perfectly executed bowl of this fantastic soup.
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More Than Just a Summer Soup: A Comforting Tradition
Some might wonder about sharing a soup recipe in the heart of summer. However, in our household, soup isn’t reserved for cold weather; it’s a cherished meal enjoyed throughout the year. It holds a special place, offering warmth and satisfaction regardless of the external temperature. What truly elevates this particular recipe is the chance to prepare it with green beans freshly picked from a backyard garden or sourced from a local farmer’s market. The superior flavor and texture of fresh, seasonal produce transform an already great soup into something truly extraordinary.
A Cherished Family Legacy: The Story Behind This Creamy Green Bean and Potato Soup
This incredible Potato, Green Bean & Bacon Soup recipe comes directly from my mother-in-law, making it a true family heirloom. It was, without a doubt, my husband’s favorite dish growing up, a comforting taste of childhood that he fondly remembers. Despite its significance, it took me many years—24 years of marriage, to be precise—to finally bring this beloved soup to life in our own kitchen. The reason? A peculiar childhood aversion to fresh green beans, which I once described to my mother as being “fuzzy.” It seems strange now, as I’ve fallen head over heels in love with fresh green beans in recent years. I often regret all the delicious years I missed out on, but I’m certainly making up for lost time!
The beauty of family recipes lies not just in their taste, but in the stories they carry. This soup is a testament to those traditions, passed down through generations. It’s a reminder of the simple pleasures of home cooking and the joy of sharing food that holds a special meaning. Recreating this dish for my husband was more than just cooking; it was connecting with his past and creating new, cherished memories together.
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Decoding a Classic: Turning “A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That” into a Precise Recipe
The charm of many family recipes often lies in their informal nature, passed down through generations with phrases like, “Throw this in, throw that in, sometimes I add this, sometimes I use that.” This Potato, Green Bean & Bacon Soup was no exception when my mother-in-law or sister-in-law described it. For my first attempt at making my husband’s childhood favorite, I knew I needed to bring some structure to their delightful, intuitive cooking style.
As I cooked, I meticulously measured each ingredient, transforming their culinary wisdom into a quantifiable recipe. The moment my husband walked through the door, I eagerly waved him over to the stove, lifted the lid, and proudly declared, “I finally made your favorite soup!” His first taste brought a smile, and his verdict was simple: “It was perfect!” That moment was pure joy and affirmation, truly a #Winning moment in the kitchen.
Key Ingredients for Your Perfect Potato, Green Bean and Bacon Soup:
The magic of this creamy, hearty soup lies in its simple yet robust ingredients, each playing a crucial role in creating its unforgettable flavor profile. Here’s what you’ll need:
- **Fresh Green Beans:** The star of the show. We prefer fresh for their crisp-tender texture and vibrant flavor, but frozen can be used in a pinch.
- **Potatoes:** Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes work wonderfully, providing a creamy, starchy base that thickens the soup beautifully.
- **Bacon:** Thick-cut bacon adds a smoky, salty depth that is absolutely essential. Don’t discard the rendered fat – it’s crucial for sautéing!
- **Onion:** A classic aromatic that builds the flavor foundation.
- **Heavy Cream & Milk:** These create the luxurious, velvety broth that makes this soup so satisfying.
- **Salt & Pepper:** Simple seasonings to enhance all the natural flavors.
Crafting Your Comfort: Step-by-Step Preparation of the Soup
Creating this delightful Potato, Green Bean & Bacon Soup is a straightforward process, but a few key steps ensure maximum flavor and a perfect creamy texture. Follow these instructions to bring this family favorite to your own table.
**Step 1: Crispy Bacon and Flavorful Onions.** Begin by cooking your bacon pieces in a sturdy Dutch oven over medium heat until they are perfectly crispy. This step not only cooks the bacon but also renders out flavorful fat that will form the foundation of your soup. Once cooked, remove the crispy bacon with a slotted spoon and set it aside, leaving just a tablespoon or two of the rendered bacon grease in the pot. Add your chopped onions to the remaining bacon fat and sauté them until they become beautifully translucent and tender, absorbing all those delicious savory notes.
**Step 2: Preparing the Vegetables.** While the bacon and onions are busy cooking, simultaneously steam your green beans until they are crisp-tender and your potatoes until they are fork-tender. Once cooked, drain the water from the potatoes and give them a slight mash. You don’t want a completely smooth mash; a rustic texture with some small chunks is ideal for this soup. Now, return the cooked bacon and steamed green beans to the Dutch oven with the sautéed onions. Add the lightly mashed potatoes, then pour in the heavy cream and milk. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Gently simmer the soup until it is heated through, making sure not to bring it to a rolling boil, which could cause the cream to separate. This gentle simmer allows all the flavors to meld beautifully, creating a harmonious and comforting creamy broth.
Customizing Your Creamy Delight: Tips for Variations
This Potato, Green Bean & Bacon Soup is wonderfully versatile. If you’re looking to lighten it up without sacrificing flavor, consider using half & half or even all milk instead of heavy cream. Be aware that using all milk will result in a slightly thinner broth, but it will still be incredibly delicious. The full-fat version, made with heavy cream, offers an undeniably rich and decadent experience, and if you have heavy cream on hand, it’s certainly worth indulging in!
Feel free to experiment with additional herbs like fresh thyme or rosemary for an extra layer of aroma. A pinch of nutmeg can also subtly enhance the creaminess. For a touch of heat, a dash of cayenne pepper can be a delightful addition. This soup is your canvas; make it uniquely yours!
Enjoy this truly exceptional soup! It’s a recipe that brings warmth, comfort, and delicious memories to every spoonful. Until next time,
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Print Recipe
Potato, Green Bean & Bacon Soup
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh green beans ends snipped and cut into small pieces
- 1 pound bacon cut into small pieces
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 medium sized potatoes peeled and 1/8’d
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 2 cups 2% milk
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel and cut potatoes into 1/8s. Boil either on your stove or in the microwave until tender. Drain water and slightly mash. Set aside.
- Steam green beans until slightly tender. Set aside.
- In your dutch oven, cook bacon pieces until slightly crispy, remove bacon with a slotted spoon, drain excess fat, but don’t wipe the bottom clean.
- Add onion to dutch oven and sauté in drippings until soft.
- Add bacon back in, add green beans, mashed potatoes, and cover with milk and cream.
- Warm for a bit until heated through, taking care not to boil.
- Salt & Pepper to taste.