Bacon soup is a soup made with bacon, which is the cured meat of pig. The soup contains bacon, vegetables, seasonings and a thickening agent which may be corn flour, pearl barley or lentils.

Bacon Soup Recipe Overview

Following is the method of preparation for soup made of bacon and lentils-

Ingredients: Ingredients used for preparing the soup include bacon, vegetable broth, dried lentils, carrots, onions, potato, celery, thyme leaves (dried), salt, pepper and water.

Method of Preparation: To prepare the soup, all the ingredients are put into a slow cooker and allowed to cook for several hours.

Serving Bacon Soup

The soup is served hot, as an appetizer for the initial course.

Bacon Soup Recipe Variations

There are many different variants of the soup, which contain various additional ingredients apart from the regular soup ingredients. Some popular additions are beans, tomatoes, lentils, potatoes, cauliflower, split peas and pea beans. Addition of each of these ingredients produces a different variant of the soup, like Bean bacon soup, tomato-bacon soup, etc. One version of the soup includes watercress, which imparts a peppery flavour to the soup which stands out in contrast with the meaty and rich taste of bacon.

Health Benefits of Bacon Soup

Here are some of the health benefits one accrues by consumption of this soup-

• The soup is an excellent source of protein, which is necessary for growth and maintenance of body tissues.

• The niacin content of bacon aids blood circulation, nervous system and skin health.

• Vitamin B12 present in the soup is good for the nervous system.

• Bacon contains thiamine which is beneficial for digestion, metabolism and blood circulation.

• Selenium content of the soup acts as an antioxidant and helps building immunity as well as prevents the oxidation of body fats.

• The soup’s iron content helps in the production of haemoglobin.

• Phosphorus present in the soup is beneficial for bone, dental, heart and kidney health.

Nutritional Information Related to Bacon Soup

A single serving of bacon and bean soup has approximately 361 calories and 11.2g fat of which 3.8g is saturated, 1.7g polysaturated and 4.6g monosaturated. The bean bacon soup also contains 804mg sodium, 47.9g of total carbohydrates, 2.2g dietary fiber and 20g protein.