White Bean Soup
This hearty white bean soup is a comforting, easy-to-make meal that's perfect for colder days. It's made with a rich broth and plenty of veggies and beans, but has the added bonus of coming together in about 30 minutes. It's wholesome, simple, and makes for a perfect lunch or light dinner with some crusty bread on the side.
I like to think of this recipe as the wintery alternative to my lemon and basil white beans recipe that was very popular in the summer! For more soup inspiration, try this roasted butternut squash and red pepper soup, or these Tuscan butter beans. I think you'd also love this Zuppa Toscana recipe with potatoes, white beans, and kale!
This soup pairs beautifully with some crusty sourdough bread on the side, with lashings of hard cheese and a little extra virgin olive oil over the soup. Another amazing bean soup recipe that you might also like is this gorgeous minestrone soup.
Ingredient Notes
Scroll down to the recipe card for the exact quantities you need for this recipe. Below, I've included the ingredients used plus some notes on each for potential substitutions.
- White Beans: You can use cannellini beans, great northern beans, or any other creamy white beans you prefer. I prefer a smaller bean than butter beans, but if that's your preference, then go for it! If you're using dried beans, make sure to soak and cook them ahead of time.
- Carrot, Onion, Celery: The holy soup trio! Diced onion, celery, and sliced carrots form the delicious base of this white bean soup recipe. You could omit any of these if you prefer, but they each add a wonderful element to the soup - and pack in lots of nutrients!
- Seasonings: This recipe uses Italian seasonings, dried oregano, and some red pepper flakes for a little kick. Of course, salt and pepper to taste too.
- Kale: Fresh or frozen kale works here (I often freeze chopped kale because I can never use those huge bags before it starts going off!). If kale isn't available, spinach or Swiss chard can be good substitutes.
- White Wine: This adds a nice depth of flavor. If you don't want to use wine, just swap it for extra vegetable stock.
- Pecorino Cheese: Parmesan or Grana Padano are great alternatives if you don't have Pecorino.
In addition to the above, I use vegetable stock to create the foundation of the soup broth (if you're not vegetarian, feel free to use chicken broth), lemon juice for some freshness when serving, and tomato paste in the soup base too.
More Variations & Substitutions
- Vegan Option: Skip the Pecorino cheese or use a plant-based alternative. Aside from that, this white bean soup is vegan-friendly as it comes!
- Add Protein: For a heartier soup, you can add in some crumbled sausages which add a delicious flavor too.
-Greens: If kale isn't your favorite, substitute with spinach, collard greens, or Swiss chard.
How To Make This Easy White Bean Soup
The detailed, step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview to guide you:
Step 1) Saute the veggies & make the soup base
Start by softening your onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil to build the base flavors. Don't rush this part-properly cooked vegetables add depth to the soup.
Then, you can stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and herbs.
Step 2) Deglaze and simmer
Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, then add the vegetable stock and beans. Blend part of the soup to give it a creamy texture while keeping some chunks intact.
I tend to blend about ⅓ of the pan with a handheld blender as I like having lots of whole beans and carrots in my soup, but you could blend the whole thing if you prefer!
Step 3) Finish with kale & toppings
Stir in the kale at the end until it's just wilted. Remove the soup from the heat and serve it with a final sprinkle of red chili flakes, fresh parsley, and grated Pecorino on top for a cheesy finish.
Top Tips \ Chef's Notes
- Blending: Blending about ⅓ of the soup gives it a nice, creamy consistency while still leaving some texture. If you prefer a chunkier soup, skip the blending or blend just a small portion - and the other way for a creamy soup. Personally, I think this soup is better suited to having some texture to it.
- Season Well: Taste as you go, especially at the end. Adding enough salt and pepper makes a big difference in a simple soup like this, so don't be afraid to taste test!
- Take your time: Take your time to saute the vegetables properly at the start. It's essential to get them soft and slightly caramelized before moving on to the rest of the recipe, or you'll end up with crunchy vegetables in your soup!
Storage
This white bean soup keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days. Store it in an airtight container and reheat gently on the stove. You might need to add a little extra stock or water when reheating as the soup can thicken over time.
It also freezes well-I would just recommend leaving out the kale when freezing and add fresh greens when reheating. Freeze for up to three months in an airtight container and make sure you eat any defrosted food within 24 hours of taking it out the freezer.
FAQs
Yes! Just soak and cook the dried beans ahead of time. You'll need about 1 ½ cups of dried beans to replace the two cans.
Definitely! This soup tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld together. Just store it in the fridge and reheat it when ready to serve.
Yes, this soup freezes well. Just leave out the kale when freezing and add fresh greens when you reheat it, as the kale may turn a little unpleasant upon defrosting.
Cozy White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 800 g white beans drained and rinsed
- 1 white onion diced
- 1 carrot sliced
- 1 celery stick diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 80 ml white wine
- 600 ml vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary diced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 0.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 80 g kale chopped
- ½ lemon juice
- 20 g Pecorino cheese
Method
- Heat the oil in a large pan and add the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Saute for 7 - 9 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables have begun to soften. If they begin to stick to the bottom of your pan, add a splash of water.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 white onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stick
- Tip in the garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, diced rosemary, and oregao, and cook for another 1-2 minutes.2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 sprig fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Pour in your white wine to deglaze the pan and let the wine cook down for a few minutes. Use your spoon to gently scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.80 ml white wine
- Add the white beans, bay leaf, and vegetable stock and bring to a gentle simmer (5 minutes).800 g white beans, 600 ml vegetable stock, 1 bay leaf
- Use a hand blender to blend about ⅓ of the pan (more if you want a smoother soup), then leave the soup to simmer for 5 - 8 minutes. The sauce should start to thicken.
- Stir in your kale and let it wilt down for a minute or two. Season your soup with salt and pepper to taste, and then remove the pan from the heat.salt and pepper, 80 g kale
- Serve with the Pecorino cheese grated on top, the lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.½ lemon, 20 g Pecorino cheese, 0.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Nutrition
Notes
- Let the vegetables soften and cook for the time needed before adding the other ingredients. Beans don't take long to cook, so putting the time into softening the vegetables before adding the other ingredients will help to ensure you don't have a soup with crunchy vegetables!
- If you want a smoother soup, you could blend all or even ¾'s of the ingredients, leaving just a few chunks of carrot and beans, etc.
- This soup is thick and hearty - if you prefer a looser soup, add another 200ml of vegetable stock to thin it out!
- For storing leftovers, store the soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until piping hot. This soup is also ideal for freezing! Simply defrost in the fridge the night before and heat until piping hot before serving.
CAN I MAKE THIS RECIPE IN MY CROCKPOT?????????
Yes I think you could definitely make this in a crockpot!
Test save about soup
I always Cook it even before reading this,nice soup
Can't beat it!
I just wanted a way to use up the beans I had sitting in my cupboard. It was delicious! I'm going to have to buy white beans again now!....
Hi! Lazy American here! Can you please offer a conversion option for each recipe? Please and thank you.
Hi Julie, I'm working on it! Thank you
@Julie,
Another lazy American. Please convert the measurements. Also, can I use a German Riesling wine. Would it ruin the flavor? Or just add vegetable broth?
I like to make bean soups. Always ready to try soups with turkey or chicken. Any suggestions.
@Julie, really you can just use a conversion for 2 ingredients???
Wonderful recipe! I made it on Monday and I am making again on Wednesday. This is a repeat recipe for us now. Thanks so much. 🇨🇦
so happy to hear that!
We made this tonight and loved it!! Only change we made was spinach instead of kale because that’s what we had. Definitely will double recipe next time and freeze some for a quick weeknight dinner.
The soup was very tasty, but I think there was something lost in the translation of the metrics. Mine was very stew like instead of soup. Next time I guess I’ll use more broth.
Thanks Robin - I'll double check the quantities and add a note to increase the stock if yours looks a little thick! Hope you enjoyed anyway
This soup will be on repeat! The simple ingredients and layering of spices makes this my new favorite soup! I made a pot yesterday and because it was so good and so quick to make, I tripled the batch and froze to have on hand. Loved it! 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Can u please put US liquid measurements also?? That would be wonderful. Thanks 0 😊
Greetings from Sydney Australia, I just wanted to say thank you so very much for this beautiful recipe, I made it today for the first time by making a double batch and simmering it very low and slow on the stove top. On a cold winters day it was absolutely delightful to enjoy with freshly grated pecorino cheese and freshly grated tasty cheese. Really looking forward to making this again.😊
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, thanky ou Nancy! I'm really looking forward to making a big batch of this when winter comes around here in the UK!
I just made this and it’s fantastic! I used 3 cups of vegetable stock and doubled the spices. I also added shredded chicken breast. I used the slow cooker on low for about 7 hours. It’s a one pot meal that I will continue to make. I appreciate your use of metric measurements. Usually, it’s the opposite. Thank you!
I made this and added ground turkey. Yummy sooooo good! Even better the next day
So glad you enjoyed the soup!!
What is the quantity of kale or spinach?
About 1 cup, have updated now!
I really want to make this soup - but if I am converting measurements correctly... just a little over 2 cups of stock? The recipe also needs an indication as to how much it makes. "4 servings" means what? How big of a serving? This is important - an appetizer serving or main course serving? If that was filled in I would know if the 500 ml was correct.
Hey Jeanne - yes that's right, about 2 cups (500ml) for this recipe - it's quite a thick soup but we do blend a portion so it gets lovely and creamy. Feel free to add a splash more stock or water if you need! Point taken on the serving size - I would say the recipe makes enough for 4 portions/bowls of soup suitable for a lunch serving. I hope that helps and will try to be more specific when I come back around to testing the recipe. Really hope you enjoy it!!