Whether you know it as Tuscan white bean soup or ribollita, this hearty soup recipe is guaranteed to keep you warm and cozy! It’s creamy, flavourful, and you only need 15 minutes of prep time to make it.
I love a thick and creamy soup, but I also want a soup with stuff in it—you know, something to chew on. This white bean soup is the best of both worlds, with a thick and creamy broth and kale and beans to make it satisfying and give it the feel of a meal. Serve it with some crusty bread on the side and you’ve got the perfect cold weather lunch!
Why This White Bean Soup Deserves a Spot on Your Menu
This simple soup ticks a lot of boxes on the “great” recipe checklist.
- Big flavour, minimal time. So many soup recipes require a long simmering time to develop their flavour, but this white bean soup needs only 20 minutes of simmering on the stovetop. Perfect for a weeknight!
- Budget-friendly. The ingredient list is short and sweet, with items you probably either have on hand in your kitchen or that are affordable to pick up at the grocery store. (Lentil soup is also budget-friendly!)
- Great for meal prep. This soup will get even tastier after a day or two in the fridge and it freezes beautifully, so I love making a double batch and freezing some of it for another day.
Notes on Ingredients
You need only a handful of ingredients to make this hearty white bean soup. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Onion, celery, carrot and garlic – These are your classic mirepoix ingredients. They build the base of flavour for this soup.
- Italian seasoning or dried oregano, dried parsley, dried basil – These give the soup its Tuscan flavour.
- White kidney beans – The star of the show! You can use any white beans, but these are my favourite.
- Vegetable broth – Ensure that you’re using a nice and flavourful broth, since this will also greatly impact the flavour. I love this homemade vegetable broth, which you can make with veggie scraps!
- Kale – I love adding kale for a boost of greens, but feel free to sub this for spinach or leave it out.
- Lime juice – You can swap this for lemon juice or vinegar. Red wine or sherry vinegar would be perfect.
How to Make White Bean Soup
You’ll find the full instructions for this white bean soup in the recipe card, but here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need to do.
- Cook the aromatics. Warm the oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the onions, celery, and carrots with the salt and pepper. Cook until the veggies are softened, then stir in the garlic and cook 5 minutes more.
- Simmer. Stir in the Italian seasoning and beans, followed by the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Blend. Transfer 2 cups of soup to your blender. Add 1/2 cup of water and blend until smooth.
- Finish. Stir the blended soup back into the pot, then add the kale and lime juice. Once the kale wilts, ladle into bowls and serve.
Tips and Variations
These simple tips will help you make the perfect vegan white bean soup!
- Adjust the consistency. If you want more of a traditional bean and kale soup with a thinner broth, you don’t have to blend it. Or, for a thicker and smoother soup, you can blend it completely!
- Season to taste. I would wait until the end of the cooking time to add the majority of the salt. The amount you add will depend on the type of broth you use.
- Add some toppings. Add a drizzle of good olive oil, a swirl of basil pesto, or a sprinkle of vegan Parmesan cheese.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving bread with my soup—especially homemade bread! You can never go wrong with this olive bread or my gluten-free dinner rolls. For something a bit easier, pick up store-bought bread and use it to make roasted garlic bread.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Transfer leftover white bean soup to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze leftovers in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: Thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator. Reheat in a pan on the stovetop over medium heat, or warm up individual portions in the microwave.
More Satisfying Vegan Soups
Enjoy friends! If you make this white bean soup recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil 28g
- 1 large red onion (188g) finely diced
- 4 ribs of celery finely diced
- 1 large carrot or two medium size carrots 226g, diced
- 5 cloves garlic (12g) minced
- salt & pepper to taste (I use about 1 teaspoon sea salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper – this will depending on the saltiness of your veggie broth so add less to start)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon dried basil), 4g
- 30 ounces cooked white kidney beans so 2 15-ounce cans of cooked white kidney beans, 850 grams
- 4 cups vegetable broth 960g
- ½ cup water 120g
- 1 cup kale shredded, 67g
- juice of 1 small lime
Instructions
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In a large, deep pot over medium heat, add the oil to heat.
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Add the onions, celery and carrots, salt and pepper. Stir togetherand allow to sauteé for about 8 minutes, until the onions are translucent and the carrots are softened.
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Add in the garlic, and stir to combine. Cook for another 5 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the veggies begin to look caramelized.
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Add in the italian seasoning, kidney beans and stir to combine.
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Pour in the vegetable broth and stir again.
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Bring to a boil, and then to a simmer for about 20 minutes.
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Remove 2 cups of the soup (with veggies in it – just scoop two cups out), and add to your blender. Add the ½ cup of water to that mix, and blend until completely smooth). Pour this mix back into your soup, and stir to combine.
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Stir in the kale and lime juice. The residual heat will help to add heat to all of these.
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Allow soup to cool slightly then serve with some bread! Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Adjust the consistency. Want a more traditional soup with a thinner broth? Skip the blending. For a thicker and smoother soup, blend as much as you’d like!
- Season to taste. When the soup is just about finished, give it a taste and add extra salt, pepper, etc. as needed.
- Storage. Store fully cooled leftovers in an airtight container. It’ll keep in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the soup in the fridge (if applicable) and reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, or warm in the microwave.