This White Bean Soup is so easy to make in one pot and it has a flavor packed herb broth and plenty of bacon! This hearty, soul warming soup is ready in 30 minutes!
Cook the bacon in a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat until slightly crisp and remove from pan with a slotted spoon to drain on a paper towel lined plate.
Drain excess bacon grease, leaving about 1 Tablespoon in the pan.
Add the minced shallots to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes until soft.
Add the garlic and cook stirring constantly for one minute.
Pour in about 1/2 cup of the broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Pour in the remaining broth along with the beans, salt & pepper to taste, red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme and rosemary.
Bring the soup to a boil, then, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and if desired use tongs to remove the large sprigs of rosemary and thyme from the soup.
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve topped with the cooked bacon and parmesan cheese if desired.
Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS:
Turn the instant pot on to saute (high/more). Add the bacon and cook, stirring constantly until cooked through and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate.
Drain all but 1 Tablespoon of bacon grease from the pot. Add the shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft.
Add in the garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds.
Turn the instant pot off. Pour in 1/2 cup of broth and thoroughly scrape the pot with a wooden spoon to deglaze.
Add all of the remaining ingredients to the pot and stir well.
Place the lid on the pot, set the valve to sealing position. Cook on SOUP setting for 8 minutes.
Once the time is up, allow the pot to come to pressure naturally (don't do anything) for 5 minutes, then, do a quick release.
Notes
NOTE: If you don't have or can't find shallots, you can use 1/4 of a small white or yellow onion that is finely mined for this recipe instead.NOTE ON ROSEMARY AND THYME: A "sprig" is a piece of the herb plant that will be about 3-4 inches long. You can purchase these pre-packaged at any grocery store in the produce section. The sprigs go in whole. If necessary, you can substitute 3 teaspoons of dried thyme and 2 teaspoons of dried rosemary.