This White Bean Soup is cannellini or Great Northern beans, onion, carrots, celery, and fresh spinach simmered in vegetable broth with garlic, thyme, rosemary, and a pinch of red pepper flakes, then finished with lemon juice and Parmesan. It cooks in one pot in about 40 minutes and makes 8 servings, so it works for a weeknight dinner with leftovers for lunch.
This White Bean Soup is hearty and creamy without being heavy, and it is full of vegetables. Half the beans get blended before they go into the pot, which thickens the broth and makes it smooth without any cream.
It makes eight servings, enough to feed a crowd or to have leftovers ready for the week. A squeeze of lemon juice and a little freshly grated Parmesan stirred in at the end brighten the whole pot. Top each bowl with croutons and extra cracked pepper.
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Reader Love
This is the first time i have blended beans for a soup and omg that made the soup so creamy! Thankyou for the recipe!
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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ready in 40 minutes. Everything comes together in one pot, making cleanup just as easy as the cooking.
- Creamy without any cream. Blending half the canned beans before adding them makes the broth thick and smooth.
- Vegetables in every spoonful. Onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and fresh spinach all go into a single pot.
- Big, savory flavor. Thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and a finishing squeeze of lemon juice layer up into something that tastes far more involved than it is.
- Easy to customize. Good as written, and just as good with add-ins like sausage, rotisserie chicken, or a handful of extra greens.
- Makes a generous batch. Eight servings means plenty for the whole table, or easy lunches for the week.
➡️ Ingredients
⏲ How to make this recipe
This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Blend half of the beans: In a blender or food processor, blend half of the drained beans until smooth, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if needed. Scrape the pureed beans into a bowl and set them aside.
- Sauté the vegetables: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and herbs: Stir in the garlic, thyme, rosemary, and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the broth and beans: Pour in the vegetable broth, then add the pureed beans, the remaining whole beans, salt, and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to medium or medium-low to keep a gentle simmer. Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the carrots are tender and the soup has thickened slightly.
- Add the spinach, Parmesan, and lemon: Stir in the spinach and let it wilt, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan and lemon juice.
👉 Easy ingredient swaps
- Oil: Olive oil and avocado oil both work well here, so use whichever you have on hand. You can also use just 1 tablespoon if you prefer less oil, or skip it and use a splash of broth to cook the vegetables.
- Spinach: Fresh spinach wilts down quickly. Baby kale or chopped kale also work; give them an extra minute or two to wilt.
- Parmesan: Freshly grated Parmesan has more flavor than the pre-grated kind, but nutritional yeast is a good swap to keep the soup dairy-free.
- Vegetable broth: Use your favorite store-bought vegetable broth. Chicken broth works just as well if you’re not keeping this vegetarian.
- Red pepper flakes: Start with ¼ teaspoon for a gentle kick, or dial it back to ⅛ teaspoon, or leave it out entirely, if you’re sensitive to heat.
✨ Variations
- Add sausage: Slice and brown some Italian sausage or smoked sausage in the pot before you cook the vegetables, then proceed as written. It turns the soup into a heartier, meaty meal.
- Add rotisserie chicken: Stir in about a cup of shredded rotisserie chicken along with the spinach for a quick protein boost.
- Make it chunkier: Skip the blending step and add all three cans of beans whole. The soup will be thinner and more brothy.
- Add a Parmesan rind: Drop a Parmesan rind into the pot when you add the broth. It gives the broth a deeper, savory flavor. Take it out before serving.
- Boost the greens: Double up the spinach, or swap in a mix of spinach and chopped kale for even more vegetables in every bowl.
〰️ How to serve
- Top each bowl with crunchy Air Fryer Croutons, extra grated Parmesan, and a few turns of freshly cracked black pepper.
- Serve alongside a thick slice of Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread.
- Ladle into bowls right away while it’s hot, or let it cool slightly and pack into containers for easy weekday lunches.
- A light drizzle of olive oil over each bowl just before serving adds a little richness.
💬 FAQs
Can I use dried white beans instead of canned?
This recipe is written for canned white beans, which is what makes it a 40-minute soup. If you’d like to use dried beans, you’ll need to cook them fully before starting the recipe. Then use the equivalent of three 15.5-ounce cans (roughly 4½ cups of cooked beans) and proceed as directed.
What kind of white beans work best?
Cannellini beans work well because they’re creamy and mild and blend until smooth. Great Northern beans or navy beans will also work well. Any variety of canned white beans you have on hand should do the trick.
Can I make this soup ahead of time, and does it reheat well?
Yes, this soup reheats well. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When you reheat it, the soup may thicken up a bit as it sits; just add a splash of water or broth to loosen it back to your preferred consistency.
Can I freeze this soup?
Yes. Let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers, leaving a little room for it to expand, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating on the stovetop, adding a splash of broth or water if needed.
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White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 3 cans (15.5 ounces each) white beans, drained and rinsed (cannellini or Great Northern), divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (can be decreased to ⅛ teaspoon or omitted)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups fresh spinach, about 2 handfuls
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Garnishes:
- Croutons
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
- Blend Half of the Canned Beans: In a blender or food processor, blend half of the beans until smooth (if needed, add 1-2 Tablespoons of water to make it easier to blend). Use a rubber spatula to scrape the pureed beans into a bowl, then set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion, carrots, and celery, and sauté until tender, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add Garlic and Herbs: Add minced garlic, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add Broth and Beans: Pour in the vegetable broth, pureed beans, and remaining whole beans. Add salt and pepper, then stir to combine everything. Increase stovetop heat to high and bring soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce stovetop heat to medium or medium-low (it should be hot enough to maintain a gentle simmer, but not be boiling). Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the carrots are tender and the soup has thickened slightly.
- Add Spinach and Lemon Juice: Stir in spinach and let it wilt, which should take about 2-3 minutes. Turn off stovetop heat, then add grated Parmesan cheese and lemon juice.
- Serve: Carefully taste, then add more salt and pepper, depending on taste preferences. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish each bowl with croutons, grated Parmesan cheese, and freshly cracked pepper, then serve.
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