Tuscan White Bean Soup is one of my all-time favorite soup recipes. It has a ton of flavor from the vegetables and spices, so you won't miss the meat! If you're looking for a vegetarian-friendly soup that will warm you up and fill your belly, you've come to the right place.
Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Soup
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 35 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 4
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Hearty, rustic, and savory with creamy white beans, herbs, and a rich Tuscan-style broth.
- 🍚 Best Served With: Crusty bread, garlic toast, or a light side salad.
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, flavors improve overnight, and it reheats beautifully.
Summarize and Save This Content On
The texture of the white beans is my favorite part. They become perfectly soft and creamy without being mushy, and they take on flavor so well! Proof is also in this cheesy white bean tomato bake. It only takes about 35 minutes from start to finish, so I can throw this Tuscan bean soup together in a pinch and enjoy a tasty and nutritious meal with minimal effort.
If you want more bean soup recipes, some of my favorites are easy 15-bean soup and old-fashioned ham and bean soup.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's inexpensive: This is a cheap recipe, allowing you to make it as often as you want. I love affordable repeat dinners!
- It's a flavor bomb: There's a ton of flavor in this Italian white bean soup, making each bite even better than the last.
- It's great to make ahead: If you're looking for a tasty soup for meal prep or to make in advance, this is a fantastic option as it reheats beautifully.
Ingredients
The main components of this Tuscan cannellini bean soup are listed below, along with some little tips and tricks for each to help you along the way!
- Beans: I use cannellini beans, but great Northern beans and navy beans are amazing alternatives. Any firm variety that can stand up to cooking in a soup without falling apart will work.
- Veggies: I saute carrots, onions, and celery as the base for the soup to create layers of flavor. I add kale as well for color and texture. If you're a kale lover, it's also incredible in this creamy sausage kale potato soup.
- Vegetable stock: I prefer vegetable stock, but chicken stock would work fine as long as you don't need the soup to be vegetarian-friendly.
- Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes are ideal for this recipe because they aren't as waxy and firm as red potatoes, or as starchy as Russet potatoes. They become almost creamy in the middle as they cook.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Add meat: Add some meat for extra protein! The easiest way is to shred leftovers of crock pot turkey breast or baked honey mustard ham.
- Add more veggies: Stir in some diced vegetables like zucchini, mushrooms, or bell peppers.
- Use a medley of beans: Try two cans of different beans, like one cannellini and the other pinto!
How to Make Tuscan White Bean Soup with Kale
The steps you'll need for this Tuscan white bean soup recipe are listed below. Make sure all your veggies are chopped and ready before you start!
Step 1: Sauté the veggies. Start by heating a large pot over medium heat and add oil. Add the carrots, onions, and celery, and cook for 7-9 minutes, until tender.
Step 2: Add the broth and blend the beans. Now add the garlic and spices, and let them cook for about a minute before adding the broth and 1 can of beans. Use an immersion blender (or put the broth and beans in a traditional blender first) and blend the beans for just a few seconds.
Step 3: Stir in remaining beans, kale, and potatoes. Next, add the 2nd can of beans, most of the kale, and the potatoes.
Step 4: Bring to a boil and simmer. Then bring your soup to a boil, reduce it to medium-low, and let it simmer for 10 minutes, or until your potatoes are perfectly tender. Stir in the rest of the kale and let it simmer for 2 more minutes before enjoying!
Recipe Tips
- Add broth to the leftovers: When the soup is cold, it becomes very thick. Pour in a little chicken or vegetable broth, and add more as needed until you get the consistency you want.
- Skip the blending part: I blend part of the soup to add creaminess, but you don't have to! Leave it as is, or add a splash of milk or cream.
- Soak dried beans: If you choose to use dried beans instead of canned, allow them to soak in water overnight.
Another simple Tuscan recipe to try is this Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Freeze it for up to 3 months, but the potatoes may become mushy.
- Reheating: This soup is best reheated in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium-low heat for 7-10 minutes, but a microwave will work just fine in a pinch.
- Make Ahead: Feel free to save yourself a few steps by chopping up your produce up to 24 hours in advance and keeping it in the fridge until you're ready to make your white bean soup.
Serving Suggestions
- I love enjoying a leftover cup of white bean soup with a turkey club sandwich or an air fryer grilled cheese and tomato as a filling lunch.
- If you're looking for an easy side dish, I highly recommend this classic pasta salad.
- Prepare some homemade fluffy dinner rolls to dip in the savory broth!
- Mash up leftover baked whole chicken with this soup and shred some into your bowl.
Recipe FAQs
The cooked potatoes can cause a grainy texture when the soup is reheated, especially if the soup was previously frozen. This is normal!
I use baby gold potatoes, and they typically cook all the way through just fine. If you end up with a bag that has significantly larger ones, slice them in half so they cook at the same rate.
Ensure that you don't overcook the cannellini beans. They will fall apart and become very mushy. Watch the heat and the timing.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
Do you like soup recipes? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Tuscan White Bean Soup
Equipment
- Pot
Ingredients
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- ½ cup yellow onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt or sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon rosemary
- ¾ teaspoon thyme
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
- 2 cans (15 oz) cannellini beans, great northern beans, or navy beans drained, rinsed
- 3 cups kale packed, washed and dried, divided
- 2 cups diced Yukon gold potatoes bite-sized pieces / small potatoes
- ¼ cup parsley
Instructions
- To a large pot, add the carrots, celery, onions, and avocado oil over medium heat. Stir for 7-9 minutes or until the carrots and celery are tender.
- Add the garlic and seasonings. Stir for 1 minute.
- Add the vegetable stock and 1 can of beans. Place the beans in a pile in the pot.
- Use an immersion blender to purée the beans, which helps create a creamy soup. Use the blender in the area of the piled beans for 5 seconds. Then, move the blender around the pot, keeping it mostly flat, so you don't blend up all the carrots. Blend for an additional 10 seconds.
- Add the remaining beans, 11/2 cups of kale, potatoes, and parsley.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Add in the remaining kale. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Taste to see if more salt and pepper are needed.
Notes
- If the leftover soup is very thick, add some extra vegetable or chicken broth to loosen it up.
- You may use dry beans, but they must be soaked in cold water overnight before you cook them.
- Be careful not to overcook the beans, or they will become mushy and fall apart.
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