Italian White Bean Soup
Cozy Italian White Bean Soup is an easy soup recipe that will warm you up on a cold day! Cannellini beans in a tomato vegetable broth with fresh herbs are so simple, but the flavors are delicious. Plus, it’s freezer-friendly, so you can make a big batch to have on hand whenever you’re craving a comforting bowl of soup.
It’s light but satisfying and so easy you’ll want to make it on repeat all through the winter. What is it? It’s Italian white bean soup, and I’ve been ladling up bowlfuls of this wintertime treat whenever I need to get my cozy on when it’s cold out.
Simple White Bean Soup
- It’s a veggie soup – no meat in this one! So the flavors are light, but all those white beans make it extra filling. A bowl is a meal in itself.
- There’s some chopping, but I would not throw shade if you opt to use some frozen veggies in place of the fresh ones. Spoiler alert: I’ve done it myself.
- I don’t suggest skipping the fresh herbs – thyme and rosemary, to be precise. I’ve tried it with dried, and it’s just not the same. The fresh herbs take the aromatic experience to a whole new level. And it’s a good one; I promise you that.
A bowl of this cozy goodness begs for hunks of crusty bread on the side to soak up all the broth. Trust me, this soup recipe is not to be missed.
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Diced yellow onion
- Diced carrots
- Minced garlic cloves
- Tomato paste
- Kosher salt
- Vegetable broth – chicken broth works great, too, if that’s what you have on hand.
- Fresh rosemary
- Fresh thyme
- Canned cannellini beans – or you can use canned navy beans or Great Northern beans.
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Shredded Parmesan cheese
You can use two cups each of frozen diced carrots and chopped onions to save time on the prep work. It’s all good!
If you want a little heat, feel free to add a few pinches of red pepper flakes when you simmer the soup.
How to Make It
Saute: Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onions and carrots, and cook them for about five minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and salt. Stir until everything is evenly coated in the paste.
Add the veggie broth and the herbs. For the herbs, you can toss the sprigs right into the soup and fish them out at the end.
Place a lid slightly askew on top of the pan and simmer the soup until the carrots are tender. This will take about 15 minutes or so.
Take the herbs out of the soup and then add the drained white beans. Stir them into the soup and then lightly mash them with the spatula. You don’t need to mash them up completely – just enough to break some of them apart while leaving most of them whole. This will help thicken the soup.
Stir in the parsley and ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle shredded Parmesan over the top for garnish.
Storage Tips
- Leftover white bean soup will keep in the refrigerator for three to four days.
- Or store it in freezer containers, and it will keep in the freezer for several months.
I hope you try this Italian white bean soup soon! It’s so cozy, comforting, and delicious. The perfect way to warm up. Enjoy!
Happy simmering,
More Soup Recipes
- Italian Sausage Soup
- Garlic Soup
- Turkey Tortilla Soup
- Broccoli Chicken Soup for Two
- Veggie Soup with White Beans and Kale
📣 Do you love this recipe? I would love to know! Leave a comment below the recipe, along with your recipe star rating.
PrintItalian White Bean Soup
This Italian White Bean Soup will warm you up on a cold day! Cannellini beans in a tomato vegetable broth with fresh herbs are so simple, but the flavors are delicious.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 large cloves)
- 1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 3 to 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 5 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots. Stir and cook them for five minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and salt. Stir until the paste is evenly coating the veggies.
- Add the broth and fresh herbs, and stir. Bring the soup to a boil and then lower the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot with the lid slightly askew to allow some steam to escape. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
- Remove and discard the herb stems and add the beans. Simmer the soup for a minute or so and then use the spatula or a potato masher to mash some of the beans, leaving some whole. This will help thicken the soup.
- Add the parsley, stir, and the soup is ready to serve. Garnish each serving with extra parsley and shredded cheese, for garnish.
Notes
Shortcut: Instead of dicing fresh veggies, you can use 2 cups of frozen chopped onions and 2 cups of frozen diced carrots.
Storage: Leftover soup will keep for three to four days in the refrigerator. Or, you can freeze it for several months.
Nutrition
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 10.5g
- Sodium: 1444.5mg
- Fat: 10.4g
- Saturated Fat: 2.9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7.1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Fiber: 8.5g
- Protein: 14.2g
- Cholesterol: 7.2mg
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
Can’t wait to try this one!
So good. One of the Best soups I’ve ever made. And Im Italian!
So glad you enjoyed it!