This white bean soup recipe is a comforting, healthy, and delicious one-pot meal! It’s packed with creamy white beans, tender vegetables, and flavorful herbs.
This white bean soup recipe is the perfect comfort meal for a cold day. This flavorful garlic broth surrounds tender greens, kale, and protein-packed white beans. Fresh herbs and lemon juice complement its bright, earthy flavour.
This white bean soup comes together in about 30 minutes. So it’s an easy dinner that’s perfect for a busy weekend. It’s also great for meal prep. In the winter, I like to make a big pot on the weekend and eat it for lunch throughout the week. It tastes best on the second and third days, after the flavors have had a chance to develop in the refrigerator.
Serve with crusty bread on the side and Parmesan cheese on top for a salty, nutty flavour. Or skip the cheese to keep it vegan. It’s delicious either way!
White bean soup ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make white bean and kale soup:
- lima bean, naturally! Canned cannellini beans (also known as white beans) are what I use in this recipe. Small white beans like great northern or navy beans are great here too.
- Extra virgin olive oil -For wealth.
- Onions, garlic, carrots and celery These vegetables make a delicious soup base.
- Tomato paste – Gives the broth a deep and delicious flavour.
- Rosemary and thyme – Fresh or dried! I’ve included measurements for both in the recipe card below.
- Red pepper flakes – For mild heat.
- Vegetable broth – Use store-bought vegetable broth, or make vegetable broth at home.
- Fresh kale – It makes the soup feel energetic and refreshing. I like Tuscan cabbage, or lacinato cabbage, in this soup, but curly cabbage works too. Fresh spinach and Swiss chard are delicious too!
- Fresh lemon juice – For a bright and refreshing flavour.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
Can I use dried beans?
Yes! Canned beans make this recipe incredibly quick and easy, but dried beans are delicious here, too.
I recommend cooking them on their own first, then adding them to the soup as you would with canned beans. Here’s how to do it:
- First, soak the beans in water for 8 hours or overnight.
- Drain and prepare according to cannellini bean recipe, omitting the blanching. You can do this step long before cooking the soup. Cooked beans will keep in the refrigerator for a week, then freeze well for up to 3 months.
Use 3 cups of cooked beans in the soup! advice: You can also replace some or all of the vegetable broth with the savory cooking liquid.
How to make white bean soup
This easy bean soup recipe has three main steps:
- fried
- Mature
- season
Start by sautéing the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until tender, 6 to 8 minutes, then add garlic, tomato paste, red pepper flakes and herbs.
After that, the soup is cooked. Add the beans and broth and cook for 20 minutes to develop the flavors. Add the cabbage and cook until the leaves are wilted but still bright green.
Finally, season the soup With lemon juice and more salt and pepper to taste.
That’s it! Enjoy hot with Parmesan cheese on top, if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Saute onions, carrots and celery until tender. Don’t skimp on cooking time with this step! Not only will the vegetables have a better texture in the soup, but they will be sweeter and more flavorful as well.
- Add additional decorations. Garnish your bowl with chopped fresh parsley, a swirl of olive oil, and/or homemade croutons instead of or in addition to the cheese.
- Make it your own. Like many broth-based soup recipes, this one is flexible! Make your own by substituting any vegetables you have on hand. Replace celery with fennel, use parsnips instead of carrots, or add a diced potato or two. You can also add a few bay leaves to the pot while the soup is boiling.
How to store and reheat white bean soup
- In the refrigerator: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- In the freezer: This soup freezes well! Allow to cool completely, then seal in airtight containers or jars, leaving about an inch of space at the top for the soup to expand. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: Heat the soup in the microwave or over medium-low heat on the stove.
More healthy soup recipes
If you like bean soup, try one of these healthy soup recipes:
White bean soup
serves 4 to 6
This white bean soup recipe is a delicious, comforting, and healthy meal for a cold day. It’s filled with creamy white beans, tender vegetables, and herbs. It’s a great meal prep soup, as the flavor is even better after a day or two in the fridge!
Prevent the screen from turning dark
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Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt and several grinds of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes or until tender.
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Add tomato paste, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Add the broth and beans and simmer for 20 minutes.
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Add the cabbage and cook until it wilts, then add the lemon juice and season as desired.
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Serve the dish with Parmesan cheese, if desired.