You're going to love this Tuscan white bean soup recipe - it's veggie-heavy, hearty, and full of flavor.
It's perfect for chilly days when you want a warming bowl of delicious soup. With lots of veggies and flavor from fresh herbs, it's a healthy dinner option.
This warming bowl of white bean soup is a fabulous one-pot recipe. Tuscan bean soup is traditionally made with white beans, seasonal vegetables, aromatic herbs, and a substantial green (like kale or chard) - making for a cozy and flavorful soup.
This savory vegetarian recipe is ready in about 30 minutes. It saves well in the refrigerator and also freezes well, making it a great meal prep recipe.
Tuscan White Bean Soup Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this recipe.
- Vegetables - to build flavor you'll need a variety of hearty vegetables including shallots, garlic, carrots, celery, and swiss chard.
- Liquid - heavy cream and vegetable stock add flavor and a creamy base for this soup.
- White Beans - protein-heavy and delicious, these beans are the foundation of the soup.
- Herbs & Spices - the fresh thyme, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf add an essential punch of flavor.
- Acid - the lemon juice and lemon zest add brightness and balance to this creamy soup.
How to Make Tuscan White Bean Soup
This soup is essentially made in three parts - cooking the vegetables, simmering the broth, and finishing with the greens. Here's how you'll make it.
- Cook the vegetables - heat the olive oil and sauté the shallots, then add the garlic (just till it's heated), then the carrots and celery and cook them. Finally, add the herbs and bloom them to bring out their flavor.
- Simmer - add the liquid (broth and heavy cream), beans, and bay leaf and bring to a low boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
- Finish the soup - add the chard and simmer till it's wilted, remove the soup from the heat and finish with the lemon juice and optional herbs.
More Incredible Soup Recipes
We love a hearty vegetable soup for dinner - if you do too, we think you'll like these recipes.
- Udon Noodle Soup - a wonderful, cozy meal. It’s perfect for a night when you want a warm, brothy bowl that’s fast.
- Mexican Veggie Soup - this is a delightfully flavorful soup
- Black Bean Soup - a delicious bean soup with veggies.
- Butternut Squash Soup - the roasted butternut squash combined with onions, an apple, carrots, and plenty of spices makes for a deeply flavorful and hearty soup.
Tips for this Delicious White Bean Soup
- If you want a creamier soup, remove half the soup after it's cooked and blend it in a blender or food processor. Then, return it to the pot and stir to combine.
- If you're plant-based, substitute the heavy cream for the same amount of coconut cream.
- Serve this soup with crusty bread or focaccia.
- When reheating, add a ½ cup of water or vegetable stock if the soup seems too dense.
Tuscan White Bean Soup
You're going to love this Tuscan white bean soup recipe - it's veggie-heavy, hearty, and full of flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 shallots, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- zest from one lemon
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups veg broth
- 2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 3 cups (1 bunch swiss chard), destemmed and chopped
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- optional - chopped fresh basil and chives for topping
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and once it is hot, add the shallots and allow them to sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until translucent, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add the carrots and celery and sauté for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the salt, thyme, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest. Stir continuously for 30 seconds.
- Add a splash of the vegetable stock to deglaze the bottom of the pot, then add the bay leaf, remaining vegetable stock, white beans, and heavy cream. Stir to combine.
- Turn the heat up to high and bring the soup to a low boil. Reduce heat and allow the soup to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Using the back of a ladle or large spoon crush the soup down to break some of the beans, about 15 to 20 times. This will thicken the soup.
- Add the chard and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until bright green and slightly wilted.
- Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Top with optional fresh herbs.
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 444Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 2072mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 13gSugar: 7gProtein: 18g
Albertina says
This looks really very good. I just wanted to know can I use spinach instead of kale?
Emily says
Hello! You can absolutely use spinach instead of kale.
whitney M says
This was yum! We just had it for dinner. The lemon zest and juice really brightened it up and added another dimension of flavor. Course I had to add fresh parm on top for serving because i can't seem to eat soup any other way now.
Kate says
Great recipe! I added a pound of sweet sausage that I took out of the casing and sautéed, then shut off the stovetop and poured the heavy cream on the cooked sausage while I proceeded with the vegetables. So delish! Also subbed Herbes de Provence for thyme as that’s my go to soup spice!
Emily says
Sounds wonderful!