Description
A comforting and hearty Tuscan white bean soup with velvety, tender beans, aromatic herbs, and simple pantry ingredients. Perfect for cozy nights and easy to customize with optional add-ins.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (300g) dried cannellini beans
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 200g)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 medium carrot, diced (about 70g)
- 2 medium celery stalks, diced (about 100g)
- 6 cups (1.4 liters) low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 cup (240ml) crushed tomatoes
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 3–4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional: 2 cups kale or spinach
- Optional: Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Soak the dried cannellini beans overnight in plenty of cold water (about 4 cups). For a quick soak, boil beans and water for 2 minutes, then cover and let sit for 1 hour before draining.
- Dice the onion, carrot, and celery. Mince the garlic.
- Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
- Drain the soaked beans and add them to the pot. Pour in the broth and stir in crushed tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer gently for 1 to 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and velvety. Add water or broth if soup becomes too thick.
- Remove herb sprigs and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in kale or spinach if using, and cook for about 5 minutes until wilted.
- Optional: Use an immersion blender to puree about one-third of the soup for extra creaminess.
- Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil before serving.
Notes
[‘Soaking beans overnight is key for tender, velvety texture.’, ‘Use fresh rosemary and thyme for best flavor; reduce dried herbs to avoid overpowering.’, ‘Simmer gently on low heat to prevent beans from falling apart.’, ‘Add salt towards the end of cooking to avoid toughening beans.’, ‘Add broth or water if soup becomes too thick.’, ‘Puree part of the soup with an immersion blender for creaminess without cream.’, ‘Optional add-ins include kale, spinach, sausage, pancetta, or smoked paprika.’, ‘Canned beans can be used for a quick version but texture will be less silky.’, ‘Store leftovers in airtight container in fridge up to 4 days; reheat gently with added broth if needed.’, ‘Freezing is possible but may affect bean texture; add greens and cheese after reheating.’]
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximatel
- Calories: 280
- Sodium: 460
- Fat: 6
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 9
- Protein: 15
Keywords: Tuscan white bean soup, cannellini beans, comfort food, healthy soup, vegetarian soup, easy soup recipe, homemade soup, slow simmer soup