Italian White Bean Soup
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This no-frills Italian white bean soup is so simple yet boldly flavored, robust, and so darn good! It’s thick, garlicky, spicy, and nourishing. Serve with crusty bread for an easy, healthy, and satisfying meal.
Published on Nov 2018 /Updated on September 2024
Let’s start this week with one of my favorite bean soup recipes, which I first published in 2018. It’s a simple, filling, vegan bean soup that I grew up with, and I’m obsessed with its simplicity and fantastic flavor.
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It’s ridiculously easy to make using a few budget-friendly pantry staples. I cook it the way my mum used to, loaded with chili, parsley, and garlic and drizzled with plenty of extra virgin olive oil. That’s an amazing combination, perfect to take your fluffy white beans to the next level!
I’ve been cooking this Italian white bean soup for ages, and I can tell it’s sure to please everyone, both vegetarians and carnivores. It proves once again that less is more.
I promise it’s so downright delicious that once you taste it, you want to dunk crispy bread in it!
Ready? Make a big batch and serve it with crusty bread, crostini, or focaccia for a filling, healthy, and satisfying meal that is also vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free.
List of the ingredients
- White beans
- Potato
- Garlic
- Onion
- Vegetable broth
- Italian parsley
- Chili flakes
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt + pepper
How to make an Italian bean soup
(Note: this is a quick description; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Saute garlic, onion, and chili flakes in olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the white beans, diced potato, broth, salt and pepper.
- Simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Finely chop parsley leaves and garlic, then add the olive oil to combine.
- Turn the heat off, add the parsley dressing to the soup, and stir.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. If you like, serve it with more chili flakes and enjoy it with plenty of crusty bread and grated parmesan cheese if you don’t keep it vegan.
RECIPE NOTES
Italian white bean soup ingredients
White beans: Cannellini beans are usually my go-to white beans when it comes to soups, but navy beans, Great Northern beans, or lima beans work, too. For convenience, I used canned beans; they are perfectly fine, and the preparation is minimal. However, dried white beans are an excellent and cheaper option if you have time to pre-soak them.
Garlic + onion: This combination makes a simple yet flavorful base. You can use red, white, or yellow onion. To add more texture and flavor, stir in a chopped carrot and a celery stick. The recipe is flexible, but I love keeping it simple.
Extra virgin olive oil: This is the best option for flavor and nutrition. Italians use extra virgin olive oil for almost every dish. We are obsessed with it!
Chili flakes (aka crushed red pepper or red pepper flakes): They add flavor and a touch of heat, making your white beans way more interesting. Feel free to add more chili flakes to your liking.
Potatoes: They add body to the soup. During cooking, the potato cells break down, releasing starch and making the soup thicker.
Vegetable broth: I use low-sodium vegetable broth to keep the soup light and vegan, but you can use your favorite veggie or chicken broth. Adjust the seasoning accordingly since some broth can be pretty salty.
Italian parsley: For this Italian bean soup, you want to use only fresh parsley, not dried herbs. I recommend using the Italian variety with large, flat leaves. My mum used to be very generous with the parsley dressing, so you can make more to add to your soup, if you like.
Salt & pepper: To make the flavors pop. Taste and adjust the seasoning as always.
White bean soup variations
This simple Italian white bean soup recipe is extremely versatile. I love it as it is, but you can add more veggies, such as chopped carrots or greens, such as kale or baby spinach (fresh or frozen). Add some lemon juice at the end for a bit of zing, or add your favorite fresh herbs, like bay leaf, rosemary, basil, or fresh thyme.
Storage tips & leftovers
This Italian white bean soup leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days, making it a great meal prep option for the entire week. It freezes very well, too.
To freeze it, let the soup cool completely and then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or multiple containers. Freeze for up to 2 months.
More bean soup recipes you’ll love!
- The best white bean soup
- White bean stew
- Butter bean soup
- White bean and kale soup
- Lima bean soup
- Pinto bean soup
- White bean & tomato soup
- Creamy bean soup
And for all the soup and bean lovers out there, don’t forget to check out my vegan soup recipes here and my best bean recipes here. : )
Let me know if you make this Italian bean soup or if you have any questions! Leave a comment, send me a message, or rate it. I would love to hear from you!
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ITALIAN WHITE BEAN SOUP
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cans (14oz/400grams each) cannellini or other white beans
- 1 (7oz/200 grams) large potato, diced
- 2 cups (480 ml) low sodium vegetable broth
- ½ – ⅔ teaspoon salt, or according to taste
- a few cracks of black pepper
Parsley dressing
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 handful Italian flat parsley (1 cup lightly packed)
Instructions
- Rinse your beans under runny water and drain, you want to remove the cloudy water.
- In a large soup pot, gently heat 1 ½ tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, add the chopped garlic clove, onion, and chili, and cook for about 4 minutes or until the onion softens.
- Add the white beans, the diced potato, the vegetable broth, salt, and some black pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When the diced potato is fork-tender, remove the pot from the heat and check and adjust the seasoning as needed; you might want to add more salt (depending on the broth used). If you prefer a thinner soup consistency, simply add a touch of broth.
- Parsley dressing: Blend or finely chop the parsley leaves with the remaining garlic and add it to a bowl. Next, stir in about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to make a flavorsome dressing for the soup.
- To serve, ladle soup into each bowl, then place a small amount of parsley dressing in the center and give a stir. Finish with extra red or black pepper flakes, and serve with crusty bread or croutons.
Are chilli flakes red pepper flakes?
Yes 🙂
Dear Katia, My husband gave me 10 pounds of Cannellini beans as a part of my birthday gifts this year as I had dreamed to make Cannellini soups ever since I read an interesting magazine article about Cannellini bean soups. The Cannellini bean recipes in the magazine are not vegan. So I tried your recipe today. Both my husband and I loved it! I added a tomato to the soup as you suggested. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
You’re so welcome! 💛 I love cannellini beans and I’m so pleased you both enjoyed this soup, thanks for your lovely comment! 😘
Made this during quarantine. Trying to keep eating healthy. Loved this soup. Very comforting. Only thing I did was to add a few carrots, celery, and baby spinach. Will definitely make again. Thanks
Thanks so much for your comment, I’m so glad you enjoyed this soup, especially during these weird times xx
I made this earlier and it definitely is a keeper. Started out following the directions precisely but found it needed some extra oomph, so I added a half cup of chopped bell pepper, Not having chicken broth, I subbed in a generous tablespoon of condensed chicken soup base, dissolved in hot water, doubling the amount of liquid. We prefer a thinner soup because hubby likes to have the liquid for dunking garlic bread. I also subbed in prepared pesto sauce for the parsley dressing and sprinkled on crumbled bacon. It was quite tasty and hubby was very happy with his supper. Next time, I’ll give it a try with dry beans in my Instant Pot just to see how it comes out.
That sounds so good and tasty! 🙂 Thanks so much for your comment, I’m very glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for sharing! I love that it is hearty and has some good protein!
How many dry navy beans would I cook to have the right amount for this recipe? I use my instant pot to cook beans rather than canned beans. Thank you.
I’m not used to cooking dry navy beans, but usually, a heaping 1/2 cup of dry beans gives you approximately 1 can (15 oz) of cooked beans.
For this recipe, I would cook max 1 1/4 cup of dry beans, give or take. Hope this helps x
can you use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth?
Chicken broth is fine, sure! I hope you’ll enjoy it 🙂
Hi Katia,
Thank you for sharing this recipe, I made it and LOVED it!! I added fresh spinach, and was even better. I to enjoy vegetarian recipes, unlike my husband, I don’t need meat in my meal.
Thank you
Shearlean DiBattista
Hi Sheaerlean, I’m so happy you loved this soup, it’s one of my favorite recipes 🙂 Thanks a million for your comment! x
Wow, this soup was beautiful! My husband loved it too. Thank you so much for sharing with us your mum’s recipe.
I’m so happy you guys enjoyed this soup, you’ve made my day, Grace! Thank you x
This soup is so delish!! I added more broth to feed more people, then blended part of the soup when it was done to make it a nice consistency.
Thanks so much for your rating, Barbara! I’m so pleased you enjoyed it 🙂
I just made this soup and added spinach and the juice from 1/2 a lemon and oh my goodness, I’m in love! Thank you for this recipe, it will be a regular at my dinner table!!
I’m so glad you loved this soup, Angela! Thanks so much for your comment, you made my day 🙂
Can I have your recipe for the best white bean soup? Saw it on
pinterest, but can’t pull up the recipe. Thanks
Hi Connie, for some reason a few pin windows are not working properly, I’ll figure out asap what’s going on.
Btw, they seem to work now (I’ve just checked) and this is the link:
https://theclevermeal.com/the-best-white-bean-soup/
Hope this helps 🙂
This recipe is a winner, I just added some frozen spinach, it was delicious.
Thank you Jamaar, I’m glad you enjoyed it! x
Just made this and loved it! I didn’t have garlic so I used garlic powder and it was wonderful. Thanks for the recipe!
Brilliant! Thanks so much for sharing, Charlie 🙂
Ideas on adding kale? I have extra un the fridge I need to get rid of. Good idea or no?
Hi Sarah, sure, you can add green like spinach or kale, just add more vegetable broth. Enjoy x
Hello Katia. I can’t wait to make this soup, but 1 1/2 cup of broth doesn’t seem like enough. Just want to make sure it’s right. Thanks. Jackie
Hello Jacklyn, thanks for stopping by! I love when this soup is quite thick and creamy and 1 1/2 cup of broth works fine for me, it cooks nicely the mushy cannellini beans and the potato (just for the record, the cubed potato should be about 1 cup). However, if you prefer a thinner soup you can easily add some broth, even after cooking, but I’m quite sure you won’t need much, maximum 1 cup. I hope this help, enjoy 🙂
I love cannellini beans!
Sorry for the late reply Fede! Let me know if you make the recipe, I’m sure you will enjoy it x
Will make this soup, looks delicious
Brilliant! Pls let me know how it turns out 🥰
I had leftover Greek lemon potatoes from last night and OMG what a nice tang. This recipe is really great, easy, BOLD. Also a lovely palette you can add anything to. Had bacon but left it out
I’m so pleased you enjoyed it, and I love the way you describe it: great, easy, bold. Plus, I like the idea of using lemon potatoes ?
Thanks a million for sharing your feedback, Pauline! x
I made this last night for my partner and I and we LOVED it! I didn’t plan it this way, but it turned out to be an especially cold night, the first real cold of the season, and this big bowl of soup was exactly what we needed. Delicious and kept us warm all night long
Thanks for sharing your lovely comment, Emily! I’m so glad you both loved it 😍 x