THE BEST WHITE BEAN SOUP
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If you ever thought that beans are boring, this thick flavor-packed white bean soup will blow your mind! This is a simple, vegan, and budget-friendly recipe that tastes and smells amazing.
Plus, it’s ready in 20 minutes and it only costs about $1 per serving!
All it takes is humble canned white beans, a few vegetables, and two of my favorite secret-weapon ingredients: rosemary and a dash of white wine. And when you add these aromatic ingredients to the pot, something magical happens and takes this simple soup to the next level!
Make it right and this white bean soup gets it all: flavor, texture, color, and amazing nutritional benefits.
It’s thick, comforting, and perfect for dunking crusty whole-grain bread in.
Once you try it, you’ll want more!
What ingredients you need
- White beans (such as cannellini or navy beans)
- Onion, carrot, celery
- Garlic
- Potato
- Spinach (optional)
- Tomato paste
- White wine
- Rosemary
- Olive oil
- Paprika (optional)
- Salt & pepper
How to make it
- Saute’ onion, carrot, celery in olive oil for 5 minutes
- Add beans, garlic, tomato paste, potatoes, rosemary and a pinch of salt and pepper
- Stir in the wine, toss well and simmer until it has evaporated
- Add vegetable broth, frozen spinach and cook until the potatoes are soft
- Taste and adjust the seasoning
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, black pepper, and crusty bread. Enjoy!
This easy and budget-friendly white bean soup delivers a healthy and delicious midweek family meal in 20 minutes.
It’s vegan, gluten-free and packed with protein. Always keep a few cans of these handy and inexpensive pulses in your pantry, they are perfect for a last-minute meal.
ARE WHITE BEANS GOOD FOR YOU?
If you’re wondering if white beans are healthy and good for you, the answer is yes!
Cannellini beans are low on calories but loaded with minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.
Plus, these white beans are a terrific source of vegetarian protein and they’re highly filling, making them a very weight loss-friendly food.
Plus, if you enjoy this cannellini soup with some whole grain bread, you’ll get plenty of fiber!
RECIPE NOTES & TIPS
WHITE BEANS
I love cannellini beans, but you can use white beans such as navy beans or Great Northern beans, they work just fine.
WHY DOES THIS WHITE BEAN SOUP TASTE SO GOOD?
Start cooking slowly a mix of diced carrots, celery, onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil. In Italy, this is called “soffritto” and creates a flavorsome base for basically any savory dish.
Then add white beans, potatoes, rosemary and a dash of white wine to this aromatic base. When you add white wine to the pot, you add a that of acidity which brings out the other flavors. And it smells so good!
Serve with freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of good olive oil or extra virgin olive oil, the best options when it comes to flavor and health benefits.
If you don’t keep it vegan, enjoy it with freshly grated parmesan cheese which adds extra flavor and creaminess!
WHITE WINE
Cooking with white wine adds richness and a new dimension of flavor.
Any leftover of drinkable white wine is suitable for cooking, don’t waste it. And you know what? You can also freeze it in small portions, perfect for home cooking.
TEXTURE
Both starchy potatoes and soft cannellini beans make this soup thick, creamy and yummy. Plus, if you slightly mash the soft potato cubes and beans with a wooden spoon, that makes this white bean soup even thicker.
HOW LONG DOES IT KEEP?
This easy vegan 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?
- Italian white bean soup, loaded with big bold flavors
- Smoky beans on toast, the perfect vegan crunchy bruschetta
- Cannellini bean salad, so tasty with a homemade lemon garlic dressing
- Cannellini bean recipes you will love, from creamy soups to salads!
If you try this delicious soup, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram.
I would love to hear from you!
THE BEST WHITE BEAN SOUP
Ingredients
- 2 cans (28oz - 800 grams) cannellini beans or white beans, drained
- 1 medium-size onion, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1-2 garlic cloves, diced or pressed
- 1 cup (7 oz - 200 grams), frozen spinach * (optional)
- 2 medium-size potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) white wine
- 1 sprig rosemary (or 1 Tbsp of chopped fresh leaves/1/2 tsp of dried)
- 2 cups (500 ml) vegetable broth or hot water
- 1/2 tsp paprika (optional)
- 1/2 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
- 1/8 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, beans, tomato paste, potatoes, rosemary (whole sprig, chopped, or dried, whatever it's easier for you) and paprika (if you use it). Cook stirring frequently, about 1 minute.
- Add the wine, stir well and let it simmer until it has evaporated, cooking for another minute.
- Then add the frozen spinach, the vegetable broth and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the pot, reduce heat and cook gently for 15 minutes.
- When the potatoes are soft and the soup is thick and creamy, remove the pot from heat, then remove the sprig rosemary*. Taste and season with salt and pepper. (I usually add a pinch of salt at the beginning + 1/2 tsp later. You might need more salt, depending on your vegetable broth and on your personal preferences.)*
- Divide into bowls, drizzle with olive oil or extra virgin olive oil, and more freshly ground black pepper if you like. Serve with crusty whole grain bread and, if you don't keep it vegan, add freshly grated parmesan cheese for extra flavor. Enjoy!
Notes
-
- I usually make my own vegetable broth cooking for about 5-10 minutes vegetable scraps and herbs. However, when I'm short on time I go for hot water and vegan low salt vegetable broth cubes.
- Seasoning: If you use a broth that tastes quite salty on its own, it's important to adjust the seasoning at the end and not at the beginning as you never really know how strong the salt from the broth is.
I would start only with a good pinch of salt, no more than that. - Leftover: it keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days. t’s also freezable: divide among airtight containers (leaving 1-inch space at the top), and freeze up to 2 months.
- Rosemary: I've got a massive bush of rosemary in my garden, and I always use a fresh sprig. If you use a fresh rosemary sprig, keep in mind it will lose its leaves into the soup. They don't bother me, but you might want to take them off before serving, or to chop them before cooking : )
- Vegetables: I usually go for frozen spinach, it really comes in handy.
If you prefer, you could swap the spinach for greens such as chopped kale or chard. However, if you use fresh spinach, add them to the pot in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Chard or kale might take a bit longer, between 5 and 10 minutes. - Frozen spinach: the weight is from frozen, but you can swap frozen spinach for a 10-oz bag of fresh spinach if you prefer.
Made this this week and doubled it for 3 adults so that we had leftovers. It was very good, even better 2 nights later. I added a little more garlic and olive oil that I had left from the topping for green olive and garlic focaccia bread which I served with the soup and a salad. Got a thumbs up from the family.
Wonderful! I’m so pleased to hear you guys enjoyed this soup.
Thanks for sharing. x
Great recipe! I added a half tablespoon herbs de Provence and an extra cup of broth, used 6 ounces fresh spinach, and sprinkled the soup with shaved Parmesan when serving. It was no longer vegan, but neither am I. I just love vegetables, and this was lovely. Thank you!
That sounds super delicious, Jo!
Thanks a lot for sharing your feedback. x
Delicious and easy to whip up.
That’s wonderful. Thanks so much, Minnie! x
Super yummy, I used 5oz of fresh Spinach and it was plenty. Next time I will add in beans last 5 minutes, great recipe! This family loves it!
Fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing, Mandi. : )
Katia, I’d like to use sweet potatoes instead. Has anyone tried this and how did it turn out?
Hi Lynn! Many readers have used sweet potatoes instead of white, they work just fine. : )
Delish!!!! The whole family loved it! It’s perfect! I made it with dry beans (which makes this soup even more budget friendly). I soaked the white beans overnight, cooked them in the instapot, added sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes, left the wine out and added lemon Joyce at the end.
Thank you!!!
Awesome, I’m so glad to hear it was a hit with the whole family. Thanks so much for your feedback! x
Looks beyond delicious! What could I use to replace the white wine?
Glad you like it! : ) Feel free to skip the wine and odd a touch of lemon juice at the end instead. x
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It came out great, hearty, healthy and filling. My family of three finished it all that night. I will put it on rotation it on my Love it list!
That’s great to hear! Thanks so much for sharing, Elsie. x
Just made 4 batches of this for my elderly parents to frees and it came out amazingly! I pureed about 2 cups of it and added back in to make it thicker. I might have added too much spinach but you can’t eat too much spinach! Thank you! We love this recipe.
You’re very welcome, Stephanie! I’m so pleased you cooked 4 batches and shared with your parents, what a lovely feedback.
Have a great Sunday! x
The best soup ever! I cooked 2 sweet potatoes and then added them in at the end rather than the white ones. Also put half can beans in blender before I added for a little thicker soup. Love!
Great! I’m so happy to hear that, Bev.
Thanks so much for sharing. x
This soup is the best! I used sweet potato because it was all I had. So good!
That’s great to hear! Thanks for sharing, I’m so pleased you loved it. x
Delious! Thanks for sharing. I also added chic peas and gluten free pasta. very hearty!
That’s great! Thanks for sharing, Shelley. x
Just need to say I have made this soup three times in the past month and my 16 year old thinks we def need it once a week! I agree – have also used mini pastini instead of potatoes
Fantastic, I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, Melinda. x
Delish! I added small chunks of ham and a tad more broth so it was slightly less thick. My husband and family loved it!
Fantastic, I’m so pleased to hear it was a hit with the family. Thanks for sharing. x
Hi!
I’m. so happy to find your fresh take on white beans! I was recently given several lbs of these dry beans, I was also given an instant pot. I’m anxious to try your recipe . what can I substitute for the wine? we don’t use wine in our home. I know your recipe calls for canned.
how many cups of dry beans should I use?
thank you
Barbara
I can’t eat rosemary. What herb would you suggest as a substitution?
I would stir chopped parsley into the soup at the end of the cooking time. It goes very well with white beans. : )
if i wanted, could i add sausage to this recipe? if so, what kind would you recommend?
Hi Jules, I’m sorry but I don’t eat sausages therefore I can’t recommend a good one.
Hope you’ll make and enjoy the soup. : )
Oh! Em! Gee! Absolutely delicious!
That’s great to hear! Thank you, Jan. : )
This was an amazing delicious soup. and easy. I smashed some of the beans n potatoes added a splash of heavy cream. Delish🤗
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing Trisha, it’s so much appreciated. xx