Vegetable Bacon Soup

Jeff the Chef
"Vegetable Bacon Soup," from Make It Like a Man!

This vegetable bacon soup is hearty but not heavy. Its texture and color are as marvelous as its flavor.

What you need to make 8 servings:

1 lb. bacon
9 oz. diced sweet potato
9 oz. diced carrot
9 oz. diced celery
9 oz. chopped onion
9 oz. chopped cabbage
3 tsp “Table Mountain” seasoning,[1] or more to taste
Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste
1 can (15-oz.) crushed tomato
4 cups beef stock
1/2 cup dried orzo, cooked according to package directions
Sour cream, for serving
Minced parsley, for serving

How to do it:

  1. Dice the bacon. Fry it over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until crisp. Scoop the bacon out of the pan with a slotted spoon, and place it on a plate lined with several paper towels. Reserve the fat.

If you’re in the mood to multitask, you can prep the veggies and get the pasta started easily while cooking the bacon.

  1. Return two Tablespoons of bacon fat to the pan and cook the potato, carrots, and celery over medium-high heat, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a large soup pot. Add another Tablespoon of fat to the frying pan, and fry the onions, stirring frequently, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the onions to the soup pot.
"Vegetable Bacon Soup," from Make It Like a Man!

You may need to cook the potatoes, carrots, and celery in two batches, depending on the size of your frying pan, in which case you should use 1 Tablespoon of fat per batch. You’ll note that the recipe calls for equal amounts of veggies; there’s nothing magical about the nine ounces. Start by weighing the potato, and then measure out the other veggies to match. Of course, the rest of the recipe is tooled to the 9-ounce measure, so if you deviate far from it, you’ll need to make adjustments. I don’t peel any of the veggies, but if you do, then you must weigh them after peeling.

  1. Add the cabbage and seasonings to the soup pot, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato and beef stock. Bring to a boil, then off heat. Add the pasta and most of the bacon (reserving some for garnish). Check seasoning.

This will leave you with al dente vegetables. If you want them softer, reduce the soup to a simmer and cook it until you’re satisfied. 

  1. Garnish servings with a dollop of sour cream, reserved bacon, and parsley.

I don’t consider the bacon and sour cream garnishes to be optional. The soup is delicious, but the sour cream completes it. The bacon garnish adds an extra dimension to the soup’s already-interesting texture.

[1]“Table Mountain” is a blend of California paprika, salt, celery, black pepper, cumin, onion, garlic, dill weed, dill seed, rosemary, turmeric, Greek oregano, marjoram, Mediterranean thyme, caraway, coriander, and parsley. Substitute any subset of these.

"Vegetable Bacon Soup," from Make It Like a Man!
Vegetable Bacon Soup

Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! Thank you, Kesor. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. The republican-controlled senate has declared this to be a fantastic soup, even if they felt it unnecessary to see the recipe or talk to anyone who’d tasted it. I have no obvious association with Table Mountain, even though I do in fact own several tables and have hiked trails in the Appalachians, Rockies, and the Alps. But before you start thinking that I’m some kind of hard-core type, most of these hikes included finger sandwiches and wine, that I carried in my “picnic” backpack. And one of them involved a pilgrimage to Mozart’s birthplace. 

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43 thoughts on “Vegetable Bacon Soup”

  2. Ok, I looked at your gorgeous picture here, saw that orzo in this delicious soup, and knew this was a recipe I’d have to try! YUM!!!!!! What a delicious, comforting bowl of perfection! I can’t think of a better meal to enjoy during these winter months. And I am so intrigued by the Table Mountain seasoning. I have never tried it before, but it is a blend of so many of my favorite spices. I can’t wait make this delicious recipe, and try Table Mountain seasoning!!
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  3. I love the description of “hearty but not heavy.” I love that and can imagine how delicious this is. Such a delicious blend of flavors and so perfect for the cooler weather. 🙂 ~Valentina

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  6. Mozart’s birthplace, eh? You’re so refined! This soup sounds freakin’ fantastic, Jeff. This is the first I’ve heard of “Table Mountain seasoning” but the lineup of ingredients in there sounds awesome. I’ll have to keep an eye out…or make my own. In the meantime, bacon. More bacon.
    David @ Spiced recently posted…Cheeseburger Soup

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    • Never enough bacon!

      Regarding Mozart, back then, my application to the cultural elite wasn’t necessarily a slam dunk and I needed something to make it seem more obviously compelling, and since my badminton skills were decidedly sub par…

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  10. We are soup lovers and this soup looks amazing with all the vegetables . I especially love cabbage in soups. This looks delicious.

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  14. I love soup any time of the year, but especially during the cold months. And this one of yours looks amazing loaded with ALL those vegetables and especially the orzo. It can just about taste it as I’m writing. And of course, adding the bacon takes soup to a whole new level. Such a GREAT recipe. Thanks for sharing!

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  16. Wow, that sounds great Jeff. It reminds me so much of the vegetable soup my neighbor used to make. My mother would always roll her eyes and say, “if it has bacon, it’s not vegetable soup!“ I’m on your side… This is the perfect vegetable soup.

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