Tuscan White Bean Soup
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This delicious Tuscan white bean soup is cozy, flavorful, and loaded with plant-based protein. The leafy green veggies, tasty broth, and sweet Italian soffitto combine to make a foolproof soup that’s perfect for winter!
Love Italian-inspired flavors? Try this Quick Tuscan Farro Soup or this Tuscan Kale Pesto Pasta.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love It
I’ve made plenty of soup recipes, but this veggie-packed Tuscan white bean soup is hands down one of my favorites.
It’s so comforting without being heavy, and it’s super simple to make, which means it’s ideal for whenever you crave something comforting that doesn’t require much effort.
And to make things even sweeter, this soup is made with simple ingredients that are easy to find and budget-friendly.
The blend of aromatic herbs and beans creates a flavor that is both rich and satisfying, perfect for those days when you need a little extra warmth and nourishment.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Extra virgin olive oil: For sautéing and a good dose of healthy fats.
- Onion and garlic: To create the perfect aromatic foundation. You can use mild yellow or red onion to create a sweet, mellow base.
- Carrots and celery: To add sweetness and heartiness to the soup and to create the typical Italian soffritto base.
- Fresh rosemary and sage: To give a richer aromatic flavor to the soup.
- Cannellini beans: This powerful ingredient contains an impressive 11 grams of protein per ¼ cup. And makes the soup super creamy
- Vegetable broth: For a light flavor.
- Cavolo nero or kale: Cavolo nero is specifically used in Tuscan cooking and keeps this soup authentic.
- Fresh parsley: For a hint of herby freshness.
How to Make Tuscan White Bean Soup
Step-by-step overview. Full ingredients and instructions are in the recipe card below.
Sauté the aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, rosemary, and sage leaves (photo 1). Sauté for 3-5 minutes, then add the minced garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the chopped carrot and celery and cook for another 5 minutes (photo 2). This will help to develop the typical flavor of an Italian soffrito.
Add the beans: Add the beans to the pot (photo 3) with your vegetable broth (photo 4). Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, and gently simmer and cook your beans for 8 – 10 minutes.
Blend the soup: Discard the rosemary sprigs and transfer half of the soup to a high-speed blender (photo 5). Blend until creamy and smooth (photo 6).
Combine the ingredients: Mix the blended soup with the rest in the pot. You can add a touch more broth at this stage if you need it. Add the cavolo nero (photo 7) and simmer on low heat for another 5-8 minutes until the kale wilts and becomes tender.
Serve your Tuscan white bean soup: Season to taste, remove the soup from the heat and add chopped parsley (photo 8). Then, mix well and serve piping hot with a hunk of crusty bread!
Can I make it with dry cannellini beans?
Yes. You will need approximately 1 ½ cups of dry cannellini beans. Soak the beans overnight in cold water. Then drain and rinse them well and cook them in fresh water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 1-2 hours, or cook for 20-25 minutes in an Instant Pot.
Once cooked, use them in your recipe, like canned beans. The texture might be slightly different, as dry beans tend to be firmer and more robust, giving a heartier bite than canned beans.
Substitution and variations
- Broth: You can switch the vegetable broth out for low-sodium chicken stock, but veggie broth keeps this Tuscan bean soup veggie-friendly.
- Herbs: If you don’t have fresh herbs handy, you can sub for dry herbs or Italian seasoning, although the result won’t be as aromatic.
- Greens: Any greens will work here – curly kale, spinach, Swiss chard. But cavolo nero (AKA lacinato kale) keeps this recipe authentic!
- Beans: Cannellini beans give this soup a creamy, out-of-this-world texture, but if you really can’t find them, you can use navy beans, butter beans, or white kidney beans.
What To Serve With This Soup
- I like to keep things simple and serve this with a big slice of crusty bread. Ciabatta or sourdough is perfect.
- For some extra greens, you can serve it with a side of Simple Lettuce Salad or Italian Salad.
How to Store
Fridge: Once your soup has cooled to room temperature, put any leftovers into a sturdy, airtight container. It should stay tasty for around 3-4 days.
Freezer: If you want to freeze the soup, store it in a freezer-safe container (or a well-sealed freezer bag!). You can then freeze it for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Reheat in a small saucepan over low heat until warmed throughout, stirring occasionally. Add a bit of broth or water to loosen it up if it’s too thick.
If you try this Tuscan white bean soup recipe, please leave a comment and a rating and let me know how much you liked it!
Tuscan White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion - white or red – thinly chopped
- 4 fresh sage leaves - see note 1
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 large carrots - diced
- 1 celery stalk - diced
- 3 cans (15oz each) cannellini beans - drained and rinsed (note 2)
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary - see note 1
- 4-5 cups vegetable broth - note 3 1 liter
- 2 cups cavolo nero or kale - chopped thick stalks removed, you can also use spinach or swiss chard
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley - chopped
- ½ teaspoon sea salt - to taste
- black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sage leaves. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until the onion is tender and translucent. Then add the minced garlic and sauté for a minute.
- Add the chopped carrot and celery and cook for another 5 minutes. This will help to develop the typical flavor of an Italian soffritto.
- Drain and rinse your cannellini beans well; add them to the pot with 4 cups of vegetable broth and the rosemary sprigs. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes.
- Discard the rosemary sprigs, transfer half of the soup to a high-speed blender, and blend until creamy and smooth.
- Mix the blended soup with the rest of the soup in the pot, and if needed, add more broth.
- Add the cavolo nero and simmer on low heat for another 5-8 minutes until the kale wilt and becomes tender (see note 2).
- If the soup is too thick for your liking, add more broth to thin it down. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from the heat, add the chopped parsley, mix well, and serve hot with some crusty bread. If you like a bit of heat, sprinkle some chili flakes on top.
Notes
Nutrition
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