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My White Bean Soup Recipe is So Good!
Every January, I make this white bean soup on repeat, pretty much all month long. It’s simple, so good, and exactly what I want after all the rich holiday meals.
Also, it’s a great produce “saver” for when you’ve got a bunch of veggies you don’t know what to do with. I’ll throw in whatever veggies I have lying around in the pot with the white beans and broth. It’s just one of those soups that always hits the spot without a lot of effort on my part.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- White beans: You’ll need 3 15-ounce cans of white beans. You can use navy beans, cannellini beans, Great Northern beans, or any white beans. You can also use pre-cooked dried beans for this recipe, visit my tutorial on how to cook dried beans for help there. For 3 cans of beans, I recommend 2 ¼ cups dried beans.
- Olive Oil: If you don’t have olive oil, you can substitute avocado oil or even butter.
- Onion: Any variety works, but yellow or white onions are the most common. Shallots or even leeks can work as substitutes.
- Garlic: Minced garlic or garlic paste, fresh garlic or frozen garlic, it all works in this white bean soup so you can use what you have. I love freezing garlic and using it in soups or other recipes that require cooking. You can also can use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder instead.
- Carrots: If you don’t have carrots, sweet potatoes or parsnips can be a good alternative.
- Celery: If you’re not a fan of celery, you can leave it out or swap it with diced zucchini or green beans.
- Vegetable Broth: You can use low sodium or regular. If you use low-sodium, you may need to add more salt. Also, a homemade veggie stock is great here too!
- Herbs: Fresh or dried work here. If you’re using fresh, you’ll want about 2 tablespoons total compared to 2 teaspoons total for dried. Since it’s a Mediterranean-style white bean soup, I think thyme or oregano work really well with the flavors.
- Spinach (optional): You can use other greens too like kale or collard greens.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional): This is for topping at the end, but you can leave it out to keep it vegan.
Popular Additions
- Add more Protein: For extra protein, toss in 1 cup of diced chicken or chicken sausage. Vegetarians can increase the protein with 1 cup ofquinoa or an extra can of beans.
- Boost the Flavor: Add 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, a pinch of chili flakes, or ½ teaspoon of cumin to give the soup a deeper, spiced flavor. Toss in 1 parmesan rind while simmering for a rich, cheesy undertone. Fresh herbs like 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley, dill, or basil make a bright and fresh garnish.
- Hearty Add-Ins: Bulk up the soup with 1 to 2 cups of diced Yukon gold or red potatoes, 1 to 1½ cups of cooked pasta like ditalini or orzo, or 1 cup of cooked quinoa. These additions make it a complete, filling meal.
- Veggie Boost: Toss in 1 cup of diced zucchini, 1 cup of chopped green beans, or 2 cups of chopped kale if you don’t have spinach on hand. It’s an easy way to use up what’s in your fridge.
- Crunchy Toppings: Top each bowl with ¼ cup of crispy croutons, 2 tablespoons of crumbled bacon, or 1 tablespoon of toasted nuts for a satisfying crunch.
- Make it extra creamy by stirring in some cashew milk. This adds a rich and creamy flavor to the soup while still keeping it vegan.
How to Make White Bean Soup
Recipe Video Tutorial
My Best White Bean Soup Tips
- Allow the beans to simmer with the broth. Since the canned white beans are already cooked, it may seem unnecessary to add them to the soup until the very end. However, they actually absorb all the flavors of the soup, and soften to lend a creaminess to the soup. So make sure to add them when the broth goes in.
- Stir the soup while it simmers. The canned white beans are very tender so they naturally make the soup thicker. But if you stir the soup and slightly mash the beans with a wooden spoon occasionally, it helps to break them down a bit more.
- Don’t Skip Sautéing Your Veggies: This step isn’t just about cooking; it’s about getting those deep, sweet flavors from your onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. It lays down the flavor foundation that makes your soup so good.
- Be Smart with Seasoning: Go easy with the salt and pepper at the start. It’s all about balance, and you can always add more later once the flavors have had a chance to mingle and get to know each other.
What to Serve
Recipe Help & FAQs
Pop your leftover white bean soup in an airtight container and stash it in the fridge for about 3-4 days. Just make sure it’s cooled down before you put it away, and you’re all set for a quick grab-and-reheat meal. When you’re ready for round two, you can reheat it on the stove over medium heat until it’s warmed through. If it’s a bit thick, splash in a little water or broth to get things moving again.
Absolutely! If you prefer a chunkier soup, skip blending it. Instead, mash some of the beans with a fork or potato masher to thicken the soup slightly while keeping it hearty.
Seasoning is key, and everyone has different tastes. Don’t forget to taste your soup as you go. If it’s bland, consider adding more salt, pepper, or even a dash of acid like lemon juice or vinegar to brighten the flavors. Fresh herbs added at the end can also make a big difference.
More Vegetarian Soup Recipes:
- Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
- Vegetarian Minestrone Soup
- Vegan Asparagus Soup
- Vegetarian Lemon Rice Soup
- Healthy Potato Leek Soup
- Roasted Tomato Soup
If you try this feel good Mediterranean White Bean Soup recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
This recipe was originally published January 24, 2019 and has been recently updated with a slightly modified recipe and new photography.
White Bean Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 large carrots chopped
- 3 celery stalks chopped
- 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
- 3 (15-ounces) can white beans drained and rinsed
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- Grated parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot or saucepan, heat the olive over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add vegetable broth and beans, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes to combine all of the flavors together.
- Stir in the spinach and continue to simmer until the spinach wilts, about 2 minutes
- Remove from heat, taste, add in any extra salt or seasoning to taste and sprinkle grated parmesan cheese, if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Allow the beans to simmer with the broth. Since the canned white beans are already cooked, it may seem unnecessary to add them to the soup until the very end. However, they actually absorb all the flavors of the soup, and soften to lend a creaminess to the soup. So make sure to add them when the broth goes in.
- Stir the soup while it simmers. The canned white beans are very tender so they naturally make the soup thicker. But if you stir the soup and slightly mash the beans with a wooden spoon occasionally, it helps to break them down a bit more.
- Don’t Skip Sautéing Your Veggies: This step isn’t just about cooking; it’s about getting those deep, sweet flavors from your onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. It lays down the flavor foundation that makes your soup so good.
- Be Smart with Seasoning: Go easy with the salt and pepper at the start. It’s all about balance, and you can always add more later once the flavors have had a chance to mingle and get to know each other.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Made two batches for a work Mediterranean pot luck. Easy recipe and very good. Thank you!!
Thank you, Amy! So happy you liked the soup and found it easy to make!!
The soup was delicious and pretty easy to make. My only suggestion would be use only half of a large onion. I used the whole large onion and it was just too much onion.
Thanks for the feedback, Lorna. Glad you liked the soup!
This recipe is epically flavorless as written. I had to more than quadruple the aromatics to make it close to serviceable.
Thanks so much for the feedback, Chris. I’m sorry to hear you didn’t like it.
Very good! Added tomato paste and a can of chopped tomatoes for some extra flavor.
Yum!! Love the addition of tomatoes, that sounds great!
This is super!!! I had poached some chicken. Used the broth in this soup. So so very good! Had kale in fridge so used it instead of spinach and added lemon cuz that’s how I grew up!! But it certainly didn’t need it.
Yum, that sounds so good!! So happy you liked it! Thanks, Kathy!