Quick Summary
White Bean Soup- this creamy and comforting white bean soup is made in one pot and is freezer friendly too! Serve with crusty bread and a salad for an easy and delicious meal.
Soup is the ultimate comfort food. I love making a big pot of soup when the weather is cold, or whenever I am feeling sick, or whenever I just want GOOD food.
A few of our favorites include: minestrone soup, creamy chicken noodle soup, potato soup, chicken and rice soup, and this classic White Bean Soup.
This white bean soup recipe is easy to make, you only need one pot, and is perfect for lunch or dinner. The soup creamy, comforting, and nourishing. The soup is made with fresh vegetables and the beans add plenty of protein and fiber.
A bowl of this white bean soup will fill you up and warm you up! It also freezes beautifully so feel free to double the recipe. Put some soup in the freezer for a rainy day!
Table of Contents
Soup Ingredients
- White Beans– the star of the soup. I use canned cannellini beans, which you can find at any grocery store. Great Northern or Navy beans will also work. Make sure you rinse and drain the beans before using.
- Vegetable broth– use your favorite brand.
- Olive oil– for sautéing the veggies.
- Veggies– onion, carrots, and celery! The classic start to any good soup.
- Garlic– it adds lots of flavor.
- Vegetable broth– use your favorite brand.
- Herbs– rosemary, thyme, and parsley for garnish.
- Crushed red pepper flakes– for a little heat.
- Spinach– you can also use kale.
- Fresh lemon juice– to brighten up the soup.
- Parmesan cheese– use freshly grated Parmesan cheese. If you need the soup to be vegan or dairy-free, you can leave out the cheese.
How to Make White Bean Soup
- Rinse and drain 1 can of beans. Place the beans in a blender or food processor with 1 cup of the broth. Blend until smooth and set aside. You don’t want to blend all of the beans, just some to thicken up the soup. The pureed beans make the soup extra creamy and give it the best texture.
- Rinse and drain the remaining beans and set aside.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the pureed bean mixture, whole beans, remaining broth, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the spinach (or kale) and simmer for 10 more minutes.
- Stir in the fresh lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a little fresh parsley and extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.
- Serve warm and enjoy every bite!
Serving Suggestions
- Croutons: top your bowl a soup with crunchy homemade croutons!
- Bread: Crusty Bread, Garlic Bread, or Cornbread
- Biscuits: Buttermilk Drop Biscuits or Greek Yogurt Biscuits
- Salad: Kale Salad, Easy Green Salad, Arugula Salad, or Easy Quinoa Salad
- Roasted Vegetables– broccoli, carrots, asparagus, cauliflower, green beans, or sweet potatoes.
- Grilled Cheese– serve your favorite grilled cheese sandwich on the side.
How to Store & Freeze
Let the soup cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top.
Bean soups freeze well and are great protein-packed meals to have in the freezer. To freeze, let the soup cool completely. Place in a freezer safe container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat!
More Soup Recipes
- Homemade Vegetable Soup
- Lentil Soup
- Cabbage Soup
- Easy Black Bean Soup
- Easy Minestrone Soup
- Easy Butternut Squash Soup
- Broccoli Cheese Soup
Find all of our SOUP RECIPES HERE!
White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 3 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, divided
- 4 cups vegetable broth, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 sticks celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- 2 cups chopped spinach or kale
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Rinse and drain 1 can of beans. Place the beans in a blender or food processor with 1 cup of the broth. Blend until smooth and set aside. You don't want to blend all of the beans, just 1 can. The pureed beans will make the super extra creamy. Rinse and drain the remaining beans and set aside.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the pureed bean mixture, whole beans, remaining broth, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the spinach or kale and simmer for 10 more minutes. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a little fresh parsley and extra Parmesan cheese, if desired. I recommend serving with crusty bread or biscuits.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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Really good!! Used 2 cans of white beans and 1 can of red kidney beans & 1/2 tsp of dried rosemary instead. Added the juice of 2 lemons total and it was perfect!
It’s such a good soup!
Made this soup last night and it was wonderful!! Came together quickly and for a late night dinner on a cold winters night it was perfection! So flavorful and comforting, perfect soup.
So cozy!
This soup was wonderful and healthy! So much flavor and color. Would not change a single thing!
Thank you!
Glad you loved the soup! It is a good one!
Smooth, creamy and rich flavor. Excellent on a cold night. Full of fiber and vitamins also. So flavorful.
Such a great soup!
Good evening was going to make the beans tonight but wondering the beans we don’t purée do we rinse them as well or do we add the can of beans not rinsed and with the fluid in beans?
I rinse and drain them all.
Yum! Great soup! I used chicken instead of vegetable broth. The parmesan and lemon make all the difference.
Glad you loved the soup!
First bite was a WOW! And then I looked up several more of their vegetarian soups. Thank you!
You are welcome! It is such a good soup!
This wonderful soup has become a staple in my house. I make it using dried beans and it always turns out great. Thank you for a great base recipe.
It is a staple at our house too:)
This looks so delicious! How could I make this with dry beans instead of canned beans?
Yes, you will need to soak them first and cook them.
This is excellent, so quick and easy. I did 3 TBLS of lemon juice and a bit more salt. Really good, will make again!
Extra lemon is always a good idea:) Glad you loved it!
Wow – the flavor in this soup is amazing!!!! We loved it as is, but the kids actually pureed theirs to avoid seeing the “icky” spinach leaves. (hey whatever it takes!) It was perfect pureed too! Next time might add some rotisserie chicken for more protein. Served up with rustic grilled cheeses and everyone already asked for it again. Thanks for adding a staple to our cooler evenings! Loved it.
I am thrilled you loved it!
This soup is absolutely delicious! I did liberally add the seasonings and garlic as I’m comfortable enough to know how we would enjoy it. I loved it on its own and I’m obsessed with it but my carnivore husband couldn’t get past the fact there was no meat in it. Next time I will sauté up some turkey sausage for his soup and have the salad and French bread. This will be in my regular rotation! Thank you for the recipe!
You are welcome!
We loved the addition of lemon juice, it really brings a bright flavor to the soup. We didn’t add the parmesan, but grated some onto the soup as it was served and got plenty of flavor that way. Great recipe!
The lemon really brightens it up! Glad you loved it!
Unbelievably delicious! My family complaining about all my bean soups…this is fabulous!
I am thrilled you loved it so much! Thanks for sharing!
Each time I make this recipe I get compliments on it. Easy to make and delicious .
Oh good! So happy to hear this!
Hi Maria and Josh, your recipe is delicious and so easy to make . Thank you for sharing it with us.
You are welcome!