This White Bean Soup is incredibly creamy, nourishing and so easy to to make. It’s a simple one-pot meal you can throw together in about 30 minutes. Naturally dairy and gluten free!
For more delicious plant-based soup recipes, check out my Italian Chickpea Soup, Easy Potato Soup, Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup, and Mushroom Soup with Wild Rice while you’re here!
This well-seasoned and extra cozy White Bean Soup is a comfort food game-changer. Protein-packed white beans, Italian seasonings, leafy greens, and a vegetable medley simmer together in a rich and creamy broth, leaving you with an indulgent but surprisingly good-for-you meal. A chunk of crusty bread on the side is a must for dunking!
If you are looking for even more ways to utilize tasty and affordable white beans, check out the following recipes:
- Creamy Skillet White Beans with Spinach and Basil
- White Bean Salad
- White Bean Dip
- Vegan White Chili (Creamy & Hearty!)
Why you’ll love this white bean soup
- Nourishing – Protein-packed white beans, vitamin-rich greens, and a vegetable medley make this vegan bean soup recipe wholesome and healthy.
- So flavorful – Simple, wholesome ingredients and seasonings give this white bean kale soup recipe layers of gourmet restaurant-quality flavors.
- Perfect for meal prep – Pack the soup into containers and enjoy it as a healthy and protein-rich lunch! You can even freeze the batch, then reheat it whenever a comfort food craving hits.
Ingredients you’ll need (with substitutions)
- Olive oil – You can use avocado oil or another vegetable oil if needed.
- Onion – I used a sweet onion, but white, yellow or red would work just as well. You can use a few shallots instead if desired.
- Garlic – I love using fresh garlic, peeled then minced using a garlic press. You can also use pre-chopped garlic, either frozen or refrigerated. Use garlic powder (about a teaspoon) in a pinch.
- Carrots – You can substitute sweet potato, yellow potato or even broccoli/cauliflower if needed.
- Celery – If you don’t like celery, feel free to leave it out.
- Cannellini beans – The star of the soup! While I prefer cannellini beans, you can use great northern beans, navy beans or even chickpeas. I use canned beans, but you can make them from dried beans if you want.
- Vegetable broth – I love Better than Bouillon brand of vegetable or no-chicken broth paste, but you can use any vegetable broth you like.
- Tomato paste – Use 3-4 tablespoons of tomato sauce if you don’t have paste.
- Seasonings – Italian seasoning, red chili flakes, salt and black pepper. Feel free to adjust these to taste.
- Kale or baby spinach – I prefer kale in this white bean soup, but baby spinach works as well. You could also use collard greens instead.
- Lemon juice – Use fresh lemon juice from a whole lemon for the best flavor. This adds a brightness to the soup that will be missed if you don’t have it.
- Shredded parmesan – Since I don’t consume dairy, I use Violife brand vegan parmesan, or my homemade Vegan Parmesan Cheese. Perfect for sprinkling on your bowl of soup before enjoying!
How to make white bean soup
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery, and cook until soft and fragrant.
Next, stir in the cannellini beans, vegetable broth, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, red chili flakes, black pepper, and salt. Heat the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer.
Transfer some of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth OR use an immersion blender in the pot and blend a few times to create a creamier texture.
Pour the soup back into the pot and thin it with more vegetable broth if needed. Stir in the chopped kale or spinach and simmer until the leaves wilt.
To finish, stir in the lemon juice. Taste the soup and adjust the flavor as desired (more salt and pepper to round out the flavors or red pepper flakes for a balanced heat).
Serve in bowls with grated parmesan cheese sprinkled on top (I like Violife dairy free parmesan) and crusty bread on the side for dunking. Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
Canned cannellini beans are the best because their soft, buttery texture helps them melt into the soup. If you can’t find cannellini beans, use Great Northern beans, white navy beans, or butter beans as a substitute. Even chickpeas will work.
A thick and creamy white bean soup is best, in my opinion! After all, this is a cold weather meal, and the more luxurious and creamy it is, the better.
Want it even thicker? Give it a stew-like consistency by starting with 3.5 to 4 cups of broth and/or blending 2 to 3 cups of the soup.
For a thinner soup, use the full 5 cups of broth (plus more if needed) and/or only blend 1 cup of the soup.
Yes, it can easily be made in a slow cooker. To do so, sauté the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in a pot on the stove before dumping the mixture into a slow cooker along with the cannellini beans, vegetable broth, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, red chili flakes, black pepper, and salt. Place the lid on top and cook on High for 2 to 3 hours or on Low for 4 to 5 hours.
Blend and thin out the soup as normal. Pour it back into the crockpot, stir in the kale, and continue cooking for 30 minutes. Add the lemon juice and adjust the flavor as needed, then serve and enjoy.
Use sauté mode to cook the veggie mixture, then pour in the cannellini beans, vegetable broth, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, red chili flakes, black pepper, and salt. Seal the lid on top and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes.
Release the remaining pressure before blending the soup. Turn sauté mode back on, stir in the greens, and cook until they wilt. Turn off sauté mode, stir in the lemon juice and additional seasonings, and then serve.
Once cool, you can store the leftover white bean soup in airtight containers in the fridge for about 4 or 5 days. It also freezes well for 2 months.
White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium sweet onion finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large carrots peeled and sliced into coins
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 4 15-ounce cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 4-5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt more to taste
- 3 cups chopped kale or baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- optional shredded parmesan I used Violife
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring frequently for about 4-5 minutes.
- Now add the drained and rinsed cannellini beans, vegetable broth, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, red chili flakes, black pepper and salt. Stir well.
- Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered.
- Transfer about 2 cups of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer the blended soup back to the pot. Alternatively, use an immersion blender and blend a few times to create a creamier texture.
- Stir well. If the soup is too thick, add a bit more broth until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Stir in the chopped kale or spinach and let simmer for a few minutes until wilted (kale will take a few extra minutes to soften).
- Stir in the lemon juice. Taste and add more salt, pepper or red chili flakes as desired.
- Serve warm, perhaps with a side of crusty bread and a sprinkle of parmesan in each bowl. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Add some fresh herbs – Add 1 tablespoon of either fresh chopped rosemary or thyme. You can lower the amount of Italian seasoning if you do this, to maybe 1-2 teaspoons.
- Optional – Sprinkle some parmesan on top (I use Violife dairy-free parmesan or my homemade Vegan Parmesan).
- Any white beans will work here – white navy beans, great northern beans, or even garbanzo beans if you want.
- How to store leftovers – Once cool, place in a container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Or freeze for up to 2 months.
- You can make this thick like a stew or as thin as you like. I prefer it somewhere in the middle, but adjust the broth amount to your own preferences.
- Slow cooker – Sauté the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in a pot on the stove before dumping the mixture into a slow cooker along with the cannellini beans, vegetable broth, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, red chili flakes, black pepper, and salt. Place the lid on top and cook on High for 2 to 3 hours or on Low for 4 to 5 hours. Blend some of the soup. Pour it back into the crockpot, stir in the kale, and continue cooking for 30 minutes. Add the lemon juice and adjust the flavors as needed.
- Instant pot – Use sauté mode to cook the veggie mixture, then pour in the cannellini beans, vegetable broth, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, red chili flakes, black pepper, and salt. Seal the lid on top and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes. Release the pressure, blend some of it, then turn the sauté on and add the greens and cook until wilted. Stir in the lemon juice and serve.
I love this soup! Great to make on the weekend and have for lunch all week long. I leave out the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes, and add dried parsley and fresh Parmesan when I serve.
Made this tonight for dinner. Very tasty! Thanks for the recipe!