If you’re craving a dish that’s comforting and bursting with flavor, Italian white bean soup is exactly what you need. It’s made with simple ingredients you already have in your pantry like creamy cannellini beans, aromatic herbs, and fresh vegetables. This soup is a true taste of Italy in every spoonful!
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I love how this isn’t just another boring soup recipe – it’s something special where all the healthy ingredients work together perfectly. The star of the show, cannellini beans. They bring a creamy texture while acting as a powerful source of plant-based protein and fiber. What I like about these white beans is their gentle, nutty taste that goes so well with all the seasonings I’ve picked out.
This is an easy recipe to make on a too-busy weeknight since it uses beans I keep in my pantry and the usual vegetables that can be found in my fridge most of the time. Soups that are quick and easy and also taste good? Yes, please!
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Why You’ll Love This Italian White Bean Soup Recipe
- Perfect for Busy Weeknights: With just 15 minutes of prep and using mainly pantry staples, this soup comes together in under an hour. I love that I can start cooking at 5:30pm and have dinner on the table by 6:15pm!
- Budget-Friendly: Using canned beans and basic vegetables, this soup costs just a few dollars per serving. It’s proof that you don’t need expensive ingredients to make something tasty and healthy.
- Healthy Choice: Packed with protein, fiber, and nutrients while staying low in calories. This soup is a nutritious choice that doesn’t sacrifice flavor, making it great for a balanced meal.
- Meal Prep Perfect: The soup actually gets better after a day or two in the fridge as the flavors continue to develop. It freezes beautifully too, making it perfect for batch cooking.
🍲On a cold day, my kids love when I make thick oven baked chili—it’s so easy to throw together, and the house smells amazing while it bakes.
Recipe Ingredients
- Onion
- Celery
- Olive oil
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Cannellini beans
- Vegetable broth
- Spinach
- Parmesan cheese
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Italian White Bean Soup
Step 1: To start, gather all your ingredients: one diced white onion, diced celery, olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, cannellini beans, vegetable broth, fresh spinach, and parmesan cheese.
Step 2: In a large pot, warm the olive oil until it shimmers then add the diced onion and celery. Sauté the veggies over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until the veggies are soft.
Step 3: Once the onions and celery begin to soften, add the Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Then add the cannellini beans and vegetable broth. Bring the soup to a boil before reducing the heat and allowing the soup to simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 4: After 20 minutes, add the spinach. Continue simmering the soup for an additional few minutes until the spinach is wilted.
Step 5: Finally, it’s time for the parmesan cheese. Stir in the cheese until it melts and mixes well into the soup. This lends a rich, savory character to the soup, rounding out the flavours perfectly.
Step 6: Voila! Serve and enjoy your white bean soup . It’s a bowl of creamy, heart-warming delight, brimming with the goodness of beans, spinach, and parmesan cheese.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, draining and rinsing your cannellini beans is an essential step. This simple action removes excess sodium and the starchy liquid from the can, allowing you to better control the soup’s consistency and salt content. As an added benefit, rinsing the beans also helps reduce the compounds that can cause digestive discomfort.
Cannellini beans are the most commonly used for this recipe because of their creamy texture and mild flavor. However, you can substitute them with Great Northern beans or navy beans if needed.
Yes! This recipe is naturally vegetarian if made with vegetable broth, and it can easily be vegan if you skip any cheese garnishes.
To make the soup creamier, you can mash some of the beans with a fork or blend a portion of the soup before serving.
Expert Tips
- Create a Flavorful Base: Take your time sautéing the onions and celery. When they start to get some golden color, they’ll develop a sweeter, more complex flavor that makes the whole soup taste better.
- Boost the Broth: Add the rind of your Parmesan cheese (that hard piece you usually throw away) to the soup while it simmers. Remove it before serving. It adds an incredible depth of flavor that makes the soup taste like it’s been cooking all day.
- Seasoning Secret: Wait until the end to adjust your salt levels. The Parmesan adds quite a bit of saltiness, so you might need less than you think. Also, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice just before serving brightens all the flavors.
- Finishing Touches: Always add the spinach at the very end, just before serving. It should barely wilt. And don’t skip that final drizzle of good olive oil on top – it makes a huge difference in the final flavor!
How to Store Leftover White Bean Soup
This soup stays fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, making it perfect for meal prep. I’ve found that the flavors get better after a day or two as everything melds together.
If you notice the soup has thickened up during storage (the beans tend to absorb more liquid), simply add a splash of vegetable broth or water when reheating. For best results, reheat it slowly on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the beans from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Other Amazing Bean Recipes I Love
Here are some of my favorite bean-inspired dishes that are sure to satisfy your cravings.
- Spicy Chicken Soup is perfect for those who love a little heat, with tender chicken and beans packed in a rich, flavorful broth.
- For a tasty twist on taco night, try Crispy Baked Chicken and Black Bean Tacos, where crispy chicken and seasoned black beans combine for a delicious bite.
- And of course who wouldn’t want a special chili meal on a cold winter day?
More Hearty Soup Recipes to Consider
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Italian White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 white onion diced
- ½ cup celery diced
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 15.5 ounce cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- To start, gather all your ingredients: one diced white onion, diced celery, olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, cannellini beans, vegetable broth, fresh spinach, and parmesan cheese.
- In a large pot, warm the olive oil until it shimmers then add the diced onion and celery. Sauté the veggies over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until the veggies are soft.
- Once the onions and celery begin to soften, add the Italian seasoning and garlic powder stirring to coat the vegetables for 2-3 minutes. Then add the cannellini beans and vegetable broth. Bring the soup to a boil before reducing the heat and allowing the soup to simmer for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, add the spinach and parmesan cheese. Continue simmering the soup for an additional few minutes until the spinach is wilted.
- Finally, it’s time for the parmesan cheese. Stir in the cheese until it melts and mixes well into the soup. This lends a rich, savory character to the soup, rounding out the flavours perfectly.
- Voila! Serve and enjoy your white bean soup . It’s a bowl of creamy, heart-warming delight, brimming with the goodness of beans, spinach, and parmesan cheese.
Notes
- For a dairy-free creamy version, blend one cooked potato with a cup of the soup and stir it back in.
- Fresh herbs can replace the Italian seasoning – try rosemary and sage for a Tuscan twist.
- A tablespoon of sun-dried tomato paste or pesto stirred in at the end adds an instant flavor boost.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or Calabrian chili paste for a spicier version.
Barbara M
Absolutely DELICIOUS !!!!!!!
Melissa G
So glad you like the soup – it really is a good one!
Tammy
Hi Barbara and Melissa: I made this soup exactly as written with only one minor swap. I used aqua faba instead of olive oil. I ate my first bowl with a couple rips off of some lightly toasted, Tucson boule loaf. This soup is delicious and a great reason to never buy canned soup again.
Thank you so much for this easy, exquisite, and nutritious recipe. It is excellent as part of weekly meal prep since it makes so much.
I was a little bit surprised by how much Italian Seasoning was in it, but it was just perfect.
When I make it again, I might will likely double (or triple) the amount of spinach, an additional cup of vegetable broth, and for my carnivore husband, I might dice up some cooked Italian sausage to add to his bowl.
Cheers!
Debbie
are the beans drained?
Melissa Griffiths
Yes!
Debbie Bulmer
Thank you for your recipe. I am going to try this for sure. However, I am a little confused with step 4 and 5. In step 4 you tell us to add the spinach and the parmesan cheese, and then in step 5, you say you finally adding the cheese. So do you simmer the spinach for 10 minutes? Then you add the cheese?
Melissa Griffiths
Thanks for catching that, Debbie! It has been updated but should be to cook for just a few minutes after adding the spinach, until it’s wilted. I hope you enjoy the soup!
Thanks!