Chicken and Bacon Soup

The bleak gloom that comes with February can be pushed to one side – at least temporarily! – with a hearty, filling, meaty soup. I’m talking about this Chicken and Bacon Soup! It’s so comforting and cozy and will certainly help to eliminate those winter chills and blues!

It’s my favourite time of the year – soup season!  I love it when the weather turns cold and the days get shorter.  I get overly excited about piping hot soups, like this Chicken and Bacon Soup, and I love to wear socks and slippers around the house all day long.

That January and February weather; the cold and the frost, paired with the snow and ice – oh, I love it! Not only do I get to wear fleecy socks and sweaters, but I also get to layer the bed with extra blankets! And, I get to sip hot coffee while watching TV in the late evening, and I get to prepare and eat more soups.  There’s a whole list of things I love about colder weather, especially being able to crochet with yarns instead of threads.  (Crocheters will know what I’m talking about!) 

So, in addition to the socks, sweaters, shorter days, etc., the comfort of home-cooked soups and stews greatly appeals to me.  (This post is starting to sound like that song in The Sound of Music… what’s it called?  My Favourite Things?) A great dinnertime option, I would wager any time of the year, but more so during the cooler months, is my Chicken and Bacon Soup.  This soup has such a rich flavour, and the broth is savoury and seasoned just perfectly. 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Bacon – I’m using thick-cut bacon because I like the texture of it better when it’s fried. Regular-cut bacon is fine too.
• Chicken Breasts – Two chicken breasts are quite enough. Cut them in half lengthwise, and then cut those into halves again to make a total of 8 long strips of chicken.
• Onion – I use yellow, white, and sweet onions interchangeably.  Either of them will do just fine.
• Celery – I know many people who don’t care for celery in soup, but the flavour is needed here. If you prefer, add big chunks of celery and remove them before serving.
• Carrots 
• Garlic – Use fresh garlic whenever possible. Even the pre-minced stuff in the jars is better than garlic powder or granulated garlic in this recipe.
• Dried Herbs and Seasonings – You will need dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, dried red chili flakes, paprika, salt, and ground black pepper.
• Vegetable Stock – You can use chicken stock too.
• Canned Diced Tomatoes – Use the juice too.
• Potatoes
• Frozen Corn and Frozen Peas – I use frozen corn and peas quite often in soups and casseroles.
• Parmesan Cheese – This is optional and is used only as a garnish at the end. I think it tastes wonderful on the soup, but it’s completely up to you!
• Parsley – For garnish, colour, and freshness.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN AND BACON SOUP

Transfer the bacon to a large heavy-bottomed pot. Over medium heat, cook the bacon pieces until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon and drain in a paper towel-lined bowl. Drain the bacon grease from the pot, saving two tablespoons. Add the reserved two tablespoons of bacon grease back into the pot along with the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook the vegetables for 8 minutes, stirring often.

Add the garlic and stir into the vegetables. Stir in the oregano, basil, thyme, chili flakes (if using), paprika, salt, and ground black pepper. Add the vegetable stock stirring well into the vegetables. Add the chicken and stir into the soup mixture. Cook, stirring often, for 18 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool.

In the meantime, stir in the canned diced tomatoes and potatoes. Cook for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. While the potato cooks, shred the cooked chicken. Add the frozen green peas, frozen corn, cooked bacon, and shredded chicken to the pot. Stir gently to combine and cook for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped parsley. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with parmesan and more chopped parsley. Serve and enjoy!

THE HOLY TRINITY OF A GOOD SOUP

Have you ever heard of a mirepoix? Sometimes, it’s referred to as the Holy Trinity of cooking. It is a flavour base made from diced vegetables cooked in some type of fat, usually, butter or oil. The veggies are sometimes cooked for a long period of time on very low heat. The goal is not to brown the veggies. Other times, they are cooked on a higher heat to bring out the natural sweetness. This is usually the case in soups.

A mirepoix is most often found combined with tomatoes or tomato paste. This creates a darker, brown mixture called a pincage. It is a long-standing cooking technique in French cuisine. Mirepoix is widely used to flavour a variety of Western dishes, such as stocks, soups, stews and sauces.

In Italian cuisine, the onions, carrots and celery are chopped to form a battuto. It is slowly cooked in butter or olive oil, becoming soffritto. It is used as the base for most pasta sauces, such as ragu, but occasionally it can be used as the base of other dishes, such as sautéed vegetables. Most of the time, the Italian version will also include garlic, shallots, or even leeks.

LEFTOVERS AND/OR FREEZING

This recipe does make about six hearty servings, which might be too much or too little, depending on the size of your family. The recipe can easily be halved or even doubled. Just be sure to use a really big soup pot if you’re doubling this recipe! Once everyone has had their fill, you might have some leftovers. If so, you can transfer the cooled soup to a food-safe container and store it in the fridge. It will keep for at least 2 days. Otherwise, you can freeze it and it will last for 3 months.

If you do refrigerate or freeze the leftovers, you may need to add a bit of water to the soup when reheating. Start with just a few tablespoons of water at a time to avoid making the broth too watery. Of course, if you add more water, you will need to re-season with a little bit of salt as well. Taste and season according to your preference.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!