White Bean Soup

White bean soup is the best way to put a can of white beans to work! Aromatic vegetables make a rich, savory broth, and potatoes add so much creaminess! This white bean soup is chunky when served as-is, but can be pureed and drizzled with olive oil and micro greens before serving. 

White bean soup

If we don't eat this white bean soup for dinner at least two nights a week in the cold months, I'm not sure what else to make! White beans are so creamy, so versatile, and ready to soak in a rich vegetable forward broth with tiny cubes of potatoes. There are a lot of ways to make white bean soup, but making it with potatoes is definitely the way to go. It heightens the creaminess of the beans even more, and creates the most cozy, comforting bowl for dinner.

You can puree this soup, if you like. When I have white bean soup in a restaurant, it often comes completely pureed in a shallow bowl. Each spoonful is like velvet, and it's often garnished with a drizzle of fancy extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with micro greens. It's way too fancy for an everyday dinner, so we serve it chunky with slices of bread for dunking.

The reasons I love this white bean soup recipe are so many: it's all made in one pot, it's made with pantry staples, and it's super fast to make. If I have a baguette to thinly slice and rub with garlic before toasting, it's the perfect thing to serve on the side. Especially if you puree this soup, you want to serve toasted bread on the side for dipping.

Ingredients

• white beans: You need 2 cans of white beans, preferably cannellini beans, that you rinse and drain before using.
• olive oil
• onion
• carrot
• potato: One small russet potato or two Yukon gold potatoes.
• fresh rosemary: One big sprig of fresh rosemary from the garden, or one teaspoon of dried rosemary.
• garlic
• tomato paste
• dry white wine: When I say dry white wine, I mean a wine that isn't sweet at all. Finish the rest of the bottle with the meal, or you can omit the wine and use extra chicken broth.
• chicken broth: You can absolutely use vegetable broth to keep this soup vegan; it's up to you.
• salt and pepper

How to make white bean soup from scratch:

1. Gather all of your ingredients: 2 cans of white beans, olive oil, white onion, garlic, one carrot, tomato paste, one fresh rosemary sprig, chicken broth, dry white wine, and salt and pepper. I love that this recipe uses just one potato, because I often have a single leftover potato in my pantry! If you don't cook with white wine, just use extra chicken broth.
   
2. In a small stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat for just a few minutes, until shimmering hot. Now, add the diced onion, carrot, potato and rosemary sprig. Cook, while stirring frequently, until the onions are starting to turn translucent. If the onions start to turn brown, lower the heat so they don't burn.
   
3. Add the garlic and tomato paste to the pan, and cook while stirring, just until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the white wine to the pan, and cook for another minute or so, until it's mostly evaporated.
   
4. Finally, add the rinsed and drained beans, followed by the chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring this mixture to a gentle simmer, and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Give the soup a good stir, and then give it a taste. Add more salt and pepper, if you think it needs it, and add any additional chicken broth, if you'd like soup with more liquid.
   
5. Before serving, remove the rosemary sprig, and divide into 4 soup bowls before serving with toasted bread slices.

Canned white bean soup recipe

I love that this recipe uses 2 cans of white beans. However, if you have some leftover white beans cooked from scratch, go ahead and use 3 cups of already cooked white beans for this soup.

If you love using beans in soup, you have to try my 15 bean soup recipe. This white bean soup has a Tuscan flair from the tomato paste and rosemary, and another soup from Italy that is worth baking is my Pasta Fazool.

Can you freeze white bean soup?

Yes, you can freeze this soup after cooking, but be aware that some of the beans might split as they freeze and defrost. It would be a good opportunity to puree the whole pot and serve the soup smooth, if you plan on making it ahead and freezing it. Upon defrosting, you'll need more chicken broth to make it soupy. To freeze the soup, scoop it into gallon-sized freezer bags that you close very tightly. Lay the freezer bags on a sheet pan, and place in the freezer. Once the bag is completely frozen, remove the sheet pan, and now the soup is stackable and won't take up too much space in the freezer.

Can you add ham to this white bean soup?

So, in my opinion, that is a completely different recipe. The recipe here is a bit Tuscan inspired with rosemary, and the flavor of ham and beans is typically just the salty ham without a lot of other vegetables. My recipe for crockpot ham and beans might be what you're looking for.

White Bean Soup

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Hearty white bean soup recipe that can be served chunky or pureed.

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 large potato, small diced
• 1 8” sprig of fresh rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• 2 cups chicken broth, plus extra for serving
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• crusty bread for dipping (optional)

Instructions

1. In a 3-4 quart soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat for a few minutes, until shimmering hot.

2. Lower the heat to medium low, and then add the onion, carrot, potato pieces and rosemary sprig. Cook while stirring every few minutes until the onions are translucent but not browning, about 5 minutes.

3. Next, add the garlic and tomato paste, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

4. Add the wine to the pan, and cook until mostly evaporated.

5. Pour in the beans, chicken broth, and add the salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a simmer, place the lid on slightly ajar, and then lower the heat to low.

6. Cook the soup until the potatoes are soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes. Add a little extra chicken broth, if you want it soupy, or leave it slightly thick.

7. Serve in bowls with crusty bread for dipping.
   

Notes

white beans: You need 2 cans of white beans, preferably cannellini beans, that you rinse and drain before using.
potato: One small russet potato or two Yukon gold potatoes.
fresh rosemary: One big sprig of fresh rosemary from the garden, or one teaspoon of dried rosemary.
dry white wine: When I say dry white wine, I mean a wine that isn't sweet at all. Finish the rest of the bottle with the meal, or you can omit the wine and use extra chicken broth.
chicken broth: You can absolutely use vegetable broth to keep this soup vegan; it's up to you.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 184Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 780mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 4g