Creamy White Bean Soup
This Creamy White Bean Soup is an easy one-pot dinner that comes together with mostly pantry staples and is perfect for chilly evenings, busy weeknights, or meal prep. Serve it with warm crusty bread for dipping and you have a cozy family dinner everyone can dig into.
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3 15-oz cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup half-and-half or whole milk
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the white beans, broth, and bay leaf. Stir to combine.
- Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Partially cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- Transfer about 2 cups of the soup to a blender and carefully blend until smooth. Return the blended soup to the pot. Alternatively, use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup directly in the pot, leaving plenty of whole beans and vegetables for texture.
- Stir in the kale or spinach. Simmer for another 3–5 minutes, or until the greens are tender.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in the half-and-half, Parmesan, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
- Ladle into bowls and top with additional Parmesan, parsley, or red pepper flakes. Serve with warm bread.
