White bean soup, the Italian way

ByKatia
71 Comments

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A spoon full of white bean soup.
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This is not an average bean soup, this is an awesome Italian white bean soup with big bold flavor. Everyone loves it!

I cook it the way my mum used to, loaded with chili, parsley, and garlic, a burst of flavor that really warms me up.

This hearty and comforting meal is ready in no time, so good and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and parsley. Italians can’t live without a good extra virgin olive oil, really, nothing can beat it when it comes to flavors and dressing.

Cooking a warming soup like this is a no brainer, it takes just a few basic ingredients like cannellini beans, garlic and olive oil, some of the cheapest cupboard staples.

 

What ingredients you need

  • Cannellini beans or other white beans
  • Potatoes
  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • Italian parsley
  • Chili flakes
  • Extra virgin olive oil and salt
  • Vegetable broth

All the ingredients to make this white bean soup are on a marble background and on a small chopping board.How to make an Italian bean soup?

  • Saute’ chopped garlic, onion and chili flakes in olive oil
  • Add diced potato and white beans
  • Add vegetable broth, salt, and simmer for about 20 minutes

A wooden spoon is stirring the white bean soup after adding the broth.

  • Serve with parsley and extra virgin olive oil dressing, and add more chili flakes if you like. Enjoy!

Thick white bean soup with parsley, chili flakes and olive oil in a blue bowl.

RECIPE NOTES & QUESTIONS

This white bean soup is packed with protein and comes together in only 25 MINUTES.
Bonus? It’s super affordable and one portion costs less than $1.

It’s loaded with flavor, healthy, vegan, gluten-free, and cheap… what not to love about this soup?

ARE WHITE BEANS GOOD FOR YOU?

YES. This soup is packed with cannellini beans, low on calories, but loaded with protein, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Cannellini beans are highly filling, making them a very weight loss-friendly food.

IS EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL HEALTHY?

YES. Extra virgin olive oil is a rich source of antioxidants, monounsaturated fats, and offer a long list of benefits to your overall health.  So the answer is yes, extra virgin olive oil tastes great and is healthy too.

WHITE BEANS

You can use cannellini beans, navy beans, Great Northern beans or any white beans.  However, for more flavor and texture, dried cannellini beans are the better choice here. They taste better and they are cheaper than canned beans. However, if you are in a hurry, go for canned beans, they wok just fine and the preparation is minimal.

FLAVOR

Fresh garlic, fresh and aromatic Italian parsley, chilly flakes, and robust extra virgin olive oil make this mushy cannellini soup really amazing. Don’t use dry stuff, they won’t work.
You want to load this hearty meal with big flavors, don’t settle for less!

TEXTURE

Do you like creamy soups? I do, I love that thick and yummy texture, for this reason, I often add a cubed potato. During cooking, the cells of the potato break down releasing starch, and if you slightly mash the soft potato cubes with a wooden spoon occasionally, that makes the soup even thicker. Yum.

A spoon and a white blue bowl full of white bean soup.

WHITE BEAN SOUP VARIATIONS?

I kept things simple in this recipe, but you actually can add plenty of vegetables, they will make the soup hearty and more nourishing. For example, you can simply add a “soffritto” (diced onion, carrot, and celery) which brings more texture and flavor. If you prefer, you can add diced tomatoes or more greens like spinach and kale, they all are good options.

LEFTOVER WHITE BEAN SOUP?

This Italian white bean soup keeps well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3-4 days. It’s also freezable: divide among airtight containers (leaving 1-inch space at the top), and freeze up to 2 months.

MORE CANNELLINI BEAN RECIPES?

If you like this Italian white bean soup, then you will love these recipes:

You really have to try it, I’m sure you will love it as much as I do!
f you make this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram. I would love to hear from you!

Print Recipe
4.74 from 19 votes

ITALIAN WHITE BEAN SOUP

A warming, filling, and boldly flavored Italian white bean soup, so tasty and hearty, a burst of flavors ready in 25 minutes.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Italian white bean soup
Servings: 4
Calories: 247kcal
Author: Katia

Ingredients

  • 2 cans (14oz/400grams each) cannellini or other white beans
  • 1 large potato, diced
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 handful Italian flat parsley, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1/2 tsp salt, or according to taste

Instructions

  • Rinse your beans under runny water and drain, you want to remove the cloudy water.
  • In a large pot heat gently 1 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and add 1 chopped garlic clove (keep the other one for the dressing), onion, chilli and cook for about 3 minutes or until the onion starts to soften.
  • Add cannellini beans, the diced potato and stir well for another minute.
  • Add the vegetable broth (or hot water) and salt and bring to the boil.
  • Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • When the diced potato is soft, remove the pot from the heat, check the seasoning and the consistency (you might like a thicker or a thinner soup, so you can add or reduce the amount of liquid). Set aside.
  • Make the dressing: blend the parsley leaves with the rest of the garlic and 1 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil (2 Tbsp if you like more dressing). Alternatively, you can chop parsley and garlic and then blend all together with the rest of the olive oil. 
    You want to make a flavorsome dressing for your soup.
  • Serve drizzled with the parsley dressing and some chilli flakes. 

Notes

Leftovers: this Italian white bean soup keeps well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3-4 days. It's also freezable: divide among airtight containers (leaving 1-inch space at the top), and freeze up to 2 months.
NOTE: nutritional values are estimates only.

Nutrition

Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 304mg | Potassium: 766mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 248IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 4mg

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71 Comments

    1. Yes 🙂

    2. 5 stars
      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!

    3. You’re so welcome! 💛 I love cannellini beans and I’m so pleased you both enjoyed this soup, thanks for your lovely comment! 😘

  2. 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

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much for your comment, I’m so glad you enjoyed this soup, especially during these weird times xx

  3. 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.

    Reply

    1. That sounds so good and tasty! 🙂 Thanks so much for your comment, I’m very glad you enjoyed it!

  4. Thanks for sharing! I love that it is hearty and has some good protein!

    Reply

  5. 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.

    Reply

    1. 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

  6. carol kopec says:

    can you use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth?

    Reply

    1. Chicken broth is fine, sure! I hope you’ll enjoy it 🙂

  7. Shearlean DiBattista says:

    5 stars
    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

    Reply

    1. Hi Sheaerlean, I’m so happy you loved this soup, it’s one of my favorite recipes 🙂 Thanks a million for your comment! x

  8. Wow, this soup was beautiful! My husband loved it too. Thank you so much for sharing with us your mum’s recipe.

    Reply

    1. I’m so happy you guys enjoyed this soup, you’ve made my day, Grace! Thank you x

  9. 5 stars
    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.

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much for your rating, Barbara! I’m so pleased you enjoyed it 🙂

  10. 5 stars
    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!!

    Reply

    1. I’m so glad you loved this soup, Angela! Thanks so much for your comment, you made my day 🙂

  11. Can I have your recipe for the best white bean soup? Saw it on
    pinterest, but can’t pull up the recipe. Thanks

    Reply

  12. 5 stars
    This recipe is a winner, I just added some frozen spinach, it was delicious.

    Reply

    1. Thank you Jamaar, I’m glad you enjoyed it! x

  13. 5 stars
    Just made this and loved it! I didn’t have garlic so I used garlic powder and it was wonderful. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

    1. Brilliant! Thanks so much for sharing, Charlie 🙂

    2. Ideas on adding kale? I have extra un the fridge I need to get rid of. Good idea or no?

    3. Hi Sarah, sure, you can add green like spinach or kale, just add more vegetable broth. Enjoy x

  14. Jacklyn L Entwistle says:

    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

    Reply

    1. 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 🙂

    1. Sorry for the late reply Fede! Let me know if you make the recipe, I’m sure you will enjoy it x

    3. Brilliant! Pls let me know how it turns out 🥰

    4. 5 stars
      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

    5. 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

    6. 5 stars
      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

    7. Thanks for sharing your lovely comment, Emily! I’m so glad you both loved it 😍 x

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