This hardy, smokey minestrone soup is big on flavor thanks to an array of vegetables, as well as the smoked salt and bacon. It's easy to serve, easy to freeze and defrost, and goes well with a popover, biscuit, or a handful of shaved Parmesan.
My suggestion is to go a bit overboard with the vegetables if you're unsure because you can always add more water and seasoning. To me lots of veggies with a sprinkling of bean and bacon is a good ratio, but feel free to change the ratio or do away with the lima beans and instead use diced vegetables like zucchini and cauliflower.
And for meal ideas, try pairing this soup with one of these:
Smokey Minestrone Soup
I use Alderwood smoked salt in this recipe, but any smoked salt will work, or just use a good sea salt or fine salt and let the bacon provide the smokey flavor. If you have an extra Parmesan rind hanging around toss that in to the soup as well to enhance the flavor and end up with a cheesy crouton at the finish line. Parmesan is a low-lactose cheese, as are other aged cheeses, but avoid this if you're completely off lactose or dairy.If you eat gluten-free pasta, when the soup is done you can add about 2 cups of cooked brown rice pasta or other gluten-free pasta. For SCD, use Navy beans if you're adding beans, or instead of beans use diced cauliflower, parsnip, or another diced vegetable. For Paleo, replace the beans with cauliflower, parsnips, or other vegetable.This recipe can also be made using an Instant Pot. Use the saute settings and then the soup setting, and shorten the cooking time by 5 to 10 minutes.SCD note: If you're following SCD, dried or fresh lima beans are permitted, but must be soaked overnight.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces bacon diced
- ½ cup onion peeled and diced
- 2 cups carrots trimmed and diced (about 3 carrots)
- 2 cups celery trimmed and diced (about 3 stalks)
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon smoked salt
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 15 ounces lima beans soaked overnight and drained, or other bean
- 8 ounces spinach chopped (or kale)
- small wedge of Parmesan rind optional
Instructions
- Preheat a large stockpot on low to medium heat and add the olive oil to it.
- Add the bacon to the pot and let it cook for 10 minutes or until it begins to brown a bit.
- Add the onions, carrots, celery, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a few more minutes, or until the garlic is becoming fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes, beans, stock, salt, lemon juice, and Parmesan rind, and bring the pot to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the spinach and cook for another 5 minutes or until the spinach is wilted.
- Optionally, serve with a tablespoon or so of shredded Parmesan.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze for a few months.
Nutrition
Calories: 251kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 10gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 1260mgPotassium: 860mgFiber: 7gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 8649IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 97mgIron: 3mg
Kristen says
I am wondering if you are using cooked beans from the start or dried?
Erica says
Hi Kristen, yes, I use cooked beans. If you're following SCD you need to soak the beans before cooking them, and then if they are soft enough to cook thoroughly in the soup you don't have to cook them ahead of time. Most beans need at least an overnight cooking. With lima beans, I cook them ahead but leave them firm. If you used canned beans, they may be very soft, in which case I will usually add them to the soup towards the end of the cooking. Hope that helps!
Eileen Fitzmaurice says
Did I miss when to add lemon juice? Dont see in directions
Erica says
Ah, thanks for calling that out. Added it to the instructions 🙂
Anna says
I just found your webcite! Sooo excited to try the recipes, I wanted to mention though that canellini beans are on the illegal list on the breaking the vicious cycle webcite. Do you think this soup would taste very different with black beans?
Erica says
I just edited this recipe to be SCD by switching to lima beans! Thanks for calling out the error. I think I initially tagged this as SCD without realizing it wasn't. But now it is.
Janet says
How about alterations for us low FODMAP people?
Erica says
I think it would be easy to do, but I'm not fully up on FODMOP.
Kailani says
The soup was amazingly good. Perfect directions. Thank you
Erica says
Great to hear, thanks!
Bobbi says
I've been looking forward to making this for a few weeks now and wow, was it worth the wait. This soup is amazing! I made it with nitrite free turkey bacon and black beans. I also put the fresh spinach in the bowl and ladled the hot soup over the top to wilt it rather than wilting it in the pot.
Erica says
Great idea. The spinach softens enough anyway!
Kim says
this was delicious with crusty bread. i didn't have parm but it was still hearty. i've made minestrone variations many times but this smoked sea salt was perfect! i had the alder wood sea salt and never tried it in soups before. thank you for an easy weeknight one-pot meal for this time-strapped mom!
Erica says
So glad you liked it, and you had alderwood sea salt!
Amanda says
This soup is SO good. I didn't have any parmesan cheese, but it it was great without it. The bacon adds a terrific flavor. I have already recommended the recipe to friends and family 🙂
Erica says
Thanks! Another example of bacon adding great flavor 🙂
Christy The Simple Homemaker says
This looks delicious! I can almost smell it. 🙂
Erica says
🙂 Wouldn't that be cool if you could sniff the way the dish will taste, just by reading the recipe or looking at the photo?