White Bean Soup
Hearty white bean soup is satisfying, creamy, and so flavorful. It’s easy to make and economical. Make it with dry beans or canned beans.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 16 oz. dry great Northern beans (or canned beans, see note)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion (1 medium onion)
- 1 cup diced carrots (2 medium carrots)
- 1 cup diced celery (2 stalks)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth (see note)
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 ounces loosely packed baby spinach, roughly chopped (see note)
- fresh parsley for garnish, optional
- freshly shredded or shaved parmesan cheese for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Rinse and sort dried beans. Soak the beans overnight, or use the quick soak method, as directed on package. Drain beans after soaking.16 oz. dry great Northern beans
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until softened and onions are translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, cooking and stirring for 1 minute until fragrant.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 cup diced yellow onion, 1 cup diced carrots, 1 cup diced celery, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Add broth (see note if using canned beans), soaked beans (or canned beans - see note), rosemary, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat. Simmer 60 to 90 minutes or until beans are very tender.8 cups reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth, ½ teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 bay leaf
- Remove bay leaf. Remove 2 cups of the soup and use a blender to purée mixture. Return puréed mixture back to soup.
- Add spinach and allow to wilt. If you're not ready to eat, keep the soup warm over low heat.5 ounces loosely packed baby spinach, roughly chopped
- Serve garnished with chopped fresh parsley or shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Video
Notes
- Using canned beans: Substitute 3 cans (15.5 oz.) cannellini or great Northern beans, rinsed and drained for the dry beans. You’ll only need 4 cups of broth. Cook soup as directed, cooking for 30 to 35 minutes after you add the beans, or until vegetables are tender. Yield: 8 cups.
- Greens: Any type of greens can be used. Chop large leaves finely. If the greens are tougher, such as kale, allow more cooking time, adding them when you add the broth. If you'd rather not have greens in your bean soup, feel free to omit them.
- Blending: We used an immersion blender with the blending cup it came with to blend 2 cups of the soup. It worked well, but a normal blender or a bullet-style blender should work as well.
- Recipe retested and revised 11/24. Previously published as White Bean Soup With Kale and Pancetta. If you like, brown 5 oz. pancetta in the pan with a tablespoon of oil. Remove from pan; continue with recipe. Add 4 cups baby kale to the pan, briefly wilt with the other vegetables. Cook the soup as directed, stirring in the pancetta before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 1613mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5923IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 6mg
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