Vegan Bean and Bacon Soup

How about a nice hot bowl of Vegan Bean and Bacon Soup?  With maybe a big hunk of Homemade Cornbread or a few Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits on the side?

Vegan Bean and Bacon Soup | Brand New Vegan

Come on, fess up….  who didn’t LOVE those little cans of Campbell’s Soup as a kid?

Although it wasn’t exactly Vegan Bean and Bacon Soup back then….it was still good.

So when one of my awesome readers told me that if you add carrots to my Vegan Soup Bean Recipe it tasted just like Campbell’s Bean and Bacon Soup….. I knew I was going to have to try it.

And I’m here to tell you that if you add a little Mushroom Bacon to it too … ?

Oh wow, pure comfort food yumminess!

Vegan Bean and Bacon Soup

I know a lot of you have those fancy Instant Pot Pressure Cookers and can probably make this recipe in no time.

I included a link to Amazon just so you can see the 4½ star review from over 8000 people.  And yes, that is an affiliate link BTW – meaning if you actually buy one I’ll receive a small commission.  Ok legal stuff completed….but the point is… the 8000 reviews!  I had no idea they were THAT poplar!

But sadly – I don’t have one.

So I have to resort to making my beans the old-fashioned way, just like my grandmother did back on the farm….  an all night soak and then a slow all day simmer….

Oh sure it takes a lot longer  – but the smell of these amazing beans cooking all day is just pure heaven so I don’t mind.  

However you prepare this soup, I know you’re going to like it!

Preparing the Beans

I put 2 cups of dried Pinto Beans in a large pot and cover them with about an inch of water.  I cover the pot and let them sit all night long to soak.

The next morning I rinse and drain the beans, put them back into the pot, and add more fresh water (again about an inch above the beans), and then turn on the heat.

Let them come to a boil and then immediately take them OFF the heat and cover to soak for another hour.

That’s right, I do both the long and short soak methods for my beans and they come out SO tender!

After an hour – pour the beans and their broth into a crock pot and add the remaining ingredients.  I add about 2 cups of Veggie Broth, 1 whole chopped onion, 2 small chopped carrots,  and 2 small ribs of chopped celery.

Season the soup with tomato paste, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and thyme and stir well to mix.  If you use a crock pot like me, set it on high and forget about it.  Occasionally check it to make sure there’s enough water and give it a stir.

Cook the beans for about 4-5 hrs.

When the beans are soft and tender, we can add some thickener and make our Mushroom Bacon.

To thicken, I remove about 2 cups of soup and add 1 tablespoon of corn starch.  Puree this in a blender until smooth and then add back into your soup pot.  It should start to thicken immediately.

Mushroom Bacon

Any kind of mushroom should work, but I usually use Baby Bellas.  Rinse and dry the mushrooms and then add them to a ziplock baggy.

I use a 1 cup Pyrex Measuring Cup to whisk together the marinade ingredients and then pour this into the baggie with the mushrooms.  Seal and lightly shake to distribute.

The longer you can let this set and marinade, the better the flavor.  I usually start my Mushrooms about an hour before the Soup will be ready to give them plenty of time to soak.

When you’re ready to prepare them, simply dump the mushrooms into a non-stick skillet or pan and simmer until they have reduced in size and there’s very little liquid left.

Stir these into your soup right before serving.

As always, love , love, love the comments.  As Wheezie from Dragon Tales says…..LOOOOOOOOOVE IT!

Keep them coming and let me know how you like the soup.

What……  Don’t YOU watch Dragon Tales????

Vegan Bean and Bacon Soup | Brand New Vegan

Save Print Vegan Bean and Bacon Soup

Prep time:  60 mins

Cook time:  240 mins

Total time:  5 hours

Serves: 8 Bowls

This Vegan Bean and Bacon Soup reminds me of those little cans of Campbell's Soup I ate as a kid. With marinated mushrooms substituted for the bacon you almost can't tell the difference! Ingredients Creamy Bean Soup

• 2 cups dry Pinto Beans
• Enough cold water to cover the beans 1 inch
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 2 Carrots, chopped
• 2 Ribs Celery, chopped
• 2 Cups Reduced Sodium Vegetable Broth
• ½ can (3 oz) Tomato Paste
• 1 tsp of Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Thyme
• ¼ tsp Ground Pepper
• 1 Tbs Corn Starch

Mushroom Bacon

• 8oz package of sliced Mushrooms
• 2 Tbls Tamari (or Soy Sauce)
• 1 Tbls Maple Syrup
• ¾ tsp Liquid Smoke
• ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
• ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
• ⅛ tsp Ground Pepper

Instructions

1. Soak beans in water overnight
2. Rinse and drain beans the next day and cover with fresh water
3. Bring to boil and then cover and remove from heat
4. Let steep for 1 hour
5. Empty contents of bean pot into Crock pot and add vegetables
6. Add Veggie Broth, Tomato Paste, and Spices and set on high for 4 hrs
7. Check occasionally to stir and add water if necessary

Mushroom Bacon

1. Clean mushrooms and add to ziplock bag
2. Whisk marinade ingredients together and pour into bag with mushrooms
3. Let marinade for 1 hour
4. Add mushrooms and marinade to skillet and simmer on medium heat
5. Cook mushrooms until softened and most of the liquid has evaporated
6. Remove 2 cups of soup and add 1 Tbs Corn Starch,
7. Puree in a blender and than stir back into soup to thicken
8. Add mushrooms to soup and stir to combine
9. Salt and pepper to taste

Notes My method does not include the use of an Instant Pot. A pressure cooker will reduce the cooking time substantially and no overnight soak is needed. 3.5.3208