This easy one-pot white bean soup is a cold-weather must!
It’s packed with tender white beans, chopped vegetables, aromatic herbs, and Parmesan cheese. It’s perfect for meal prep, busy weeks, and boosting your immunity.
This nourishing, satisfying, and inexpensive winter warmer will be your new go-to.
Ladle yourself a bowl, grab the crusty bread, and dive in!
White Bean Soup Ingredients
My favorite thing about this soup recipe is the ingredients are already in my kitchen. Odds are, they’re in yours, too!
Here’s what you need for this gluten-free soup:
- Olive Oil – For sauteing the vegetables.
- Onions, Carrots, and Celery – This classic trio completes the soup! They add nutrients and flavor. Plus, they’re always in the kitchen.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic adds a ton of flavor. I use four whole cloves, but you can make it more or less garlicky.
- Thyme, Rosemary, and Bay Leaf – For the aroma and flavor. I use dried herbs because it’s more convenient. You can use fresh if you prefer.
- Salt and Pepper – Add salt and pepper to taste. Start with a pinch and adjust as needed.
- White Beans – Any type of canned white beans works for this recipe. Great Northern, cannellini, or navy beans are my top recommendations. Butter beans are tasty, too.
- Broth – To make it vegetarian-friendly, use vegetable broth. You can also use chicken broth if that’s what you have.
- Spinach – Fresh or frozen, use what you have!
- Parmesan – Freshly grated Parmesan cheese makes the soup extra cozy and delicious. Skip it for vegan or dairy-free soup.
- Parsley – A sprinkle of fresh parsley is the best garnish. It adds a fresh element and makes the soup more aromatic. I like Italian parsley, but regular also works.
How to Make White Bean Soup
My second favorite thing about this easy soup is you make it in one pot! So you get a fuss-free meal and stress-free cleanup.
Just follow these basic steps:
1. Sauté the veggies. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables soften.
2. Add the garlic and dried herbs. Add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cook it for another minute.
3. Add the white beans and broth. Stir. Bring it to a boil, then simmer it for 20 minutes.
4. Add the spinach. Simmer it until the spinach has wilted.
5. Add Parmesan and season. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the Parmesan. Add more salt and pepper if desired.
6. Puree a portion. Add 2 cups of soup to a blender. Blend until smooth. Stir the pureed soup back into the pot.
7. Garnish and serve. Ladle it into bowls. Add Parmesan and parsley if desired. Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Soup
I crave this soul-warming soup whenever the weather gets chilly. Needless to say, I make it a lot!
Here are some of my top tips for making it even better:
- Mix up the veggies. Add chopped potatoes, kale, or bell peppers for extra texture and nutrition. They also add a wonderful flavor.
- Brighten it up. To enhance all the flavors, garnish it with a squeeze of lemon. You can also use sherry or white wine. Just be sure to add the alcohol right after sauteing the veggies. That way, it cooks off.
- Change the consistency. For a thicker broth, puree an extra cup of soup. For a thinner broth, puree one cup or skip the pureeing.
- Make it creamy. If you like creamy soups, add heavy cream or half and half. Just stir a little in at the end.
- Go multiple for meal prep. I love doubling this recipe for easy meal prep. Just freeze the leftovers and save some in the fridge. It tastes even better the next day!
- Make it vegan. Want a plant-based meal for meatless Mondays? Just skip the cheese or substitute plant-based Parmesan.
How to Store & Freeze
In the winter, I always have a batch of this white bean soup on hand. It freezes well, making it the ideal make-ahead meal for your meal prep day.
Here’s how to store and reheat this soup:
To Store: Let the leftover soup cool, then pour it into an air-tight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: Once it’s cooled, pour the soup into an air-tight container. Divide it into single portions if desired. Frozen soup will last for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Reheat it on the stove or in the microwave until warm.
More Cozy Soup Recipes
Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup
O’Charley’s Loaded Potato Soup
Old Fashioned Ham and Bean Soup
White Bean Soup (Easy Recipe)
6
servings10
minutes30
minutes208
kcalThis simple white bean soup is perfect for chilly days! It’s packed with garlic, beans, veggies, spinach, and topped with Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 (15-ounce) cans white beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups chopped spinach
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and sauté until the vegetables have softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cook it for another minute until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the white beans and broth. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer it for 20 minutes.
- Add the spinach and continue to simmer until the spinach wilts, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the Parmesan and season it with more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Pour 2 cups of the soup into a blender. Blend it until smooth. Pour and stir the mixture back into the pot.
- Ladle it into bowls. Garnish it with Parmesan and parsley.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to use other types of white beans like cannellini, navy beans, or butter beans.
- Add chopped potatoes, kale, or bell peppers for extra texture and nutrition.
Thank you, Kim, for making your recipes so easy and so delicious. Just found your site so expect to be printing many more recipes to try. Actually, it is my son who does the cooking. I’m sure he will appreciate them too.