This vegan white bean soup is hearty and easy to make. It's vegan, plant-based and ready in 30 minutes - great for when you want your soup to be a whole meal.
Beans are a great source of plant-based protein and can be used in a variety of dishes such as Mediterranean three bean salad, vegetable soup and ash reshteh (Persian noodle soup). One of our favorite ways to enjoy beans is this delicious Mediterranean white bean soup made with a handful of ingredients. Follow along to learn how to make a hearty and creamy bean soup.
Table Of Contents:
Why this recipe works
- Easy: This is an easy white bean soup recipe that calls for minimal prep and hands-on time.
- Nutritious: Beans are a great source of plant-based protein and fiber, making this soup a nutritious meal for your family.
- Flavors: Flavored with spices and freshly squeezed lemon juice, this soup is anything but bland.
Tips to make the best white bean soup
- Season generously: Beans are a great canvas for flavors, so use a good amount of seasoning to make sure that every spoonful of this soup is flavorful.
- Blend partially: To make sure the soup has a nice, creamy texture, blend ⅓ of the soup and then return it back to the pot. Blended beans make this soup extra creamy without the use of any thickeners.
- Use broth: Quality vegetable broth adds a lot of flavor and nutrition to this soup. You can use store-bought or homemade vegetable broth.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil: Not only olive oil is a healthy fat that's used on a regular basis in Mediterranean cooking, but it also elevates the flavor of the soup.
- Onion and garlic: Onion is a base for almost all of my soup recipes; you can use either white or yellow onion. I shouldn't need to stress this, but be generous with the garlic!
- Carrots: They add a nice color and flavor to the soup.
- Spices: I'm using a combination of cumin, coriander, oregano, salt and pepper.
- White beans: This recipe calls for canned cannellini beans which are creamy and so delicious.
- Vegetable broth: I sometimes use water for some soup recipes, however, for this particular white bean soup I strongly recommend using vegetable broth because it adds tons of flavor.
- Spinach: Not only it adds a nice color to the soup, but spinach is also a good source of antioxidants. You can also use collard greens or kale.
- Lemon: Finish the soup with a squeeze of lemon for some bright and tangy flavor!
How to make white bean soup
- Sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent. Then add the garlic and carrot and sauté for a few more minutes.
- Season with the spices and add the rinsed and drained cannellini beans followed by the vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Transfer 1 ½ cup of the soup to a bowl and blend using an immersion blender. If using a regular blender, make sure it's heat proof.
- Return the blended soup to the pot and stir well. Add in the spinach and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve with freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Variations
- Add more vegetables: You can add a number of vegetables such as mushrooms, potatoes or zucchini to this vegan white bean soup.
- Make it creamier: Stir in some almond milk or cashew milk (not flavored) 15 minutes before serving to make this soup even creamier.
- Add tomatoes: Stir in a can of diced tomatoes or a 1 tablespoon tomato paste to the sauteed vegetables for more flavor.
- Herbs: Adding chopped herbs such as chopped parsley or cilantro right before serving will add a nice bright flavor to the white bean soup.
Serving suggestions
This soup would go well with fresh-baked, homemade bread such as my Turkish pide bread or barbari. You can also serve this soup with Greek salad, Mediterranean salad or green bean salad.
Storage and reheating
Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. To reheat, use the microwave or in a saucepan over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until it's warm.
To freeze white bean soup, transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat in a saucepan or using a microwave.
Frequently asked questions
Packed with antioxidants, minerals and plant-based protein, white beans are a great addition to your meals.
Yes, you can easily double or triple this recipe by multiplying all the ingredients. The cooking time may increase by a few minutes.
Yes, however, I recommend cooking the beans beforehand since they take a long time to cook in the broth. You can use my tutorial on how to cook beans in the instant pot.
More vegetarian soup recipes
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Step-by-Step Recipe
Perfect White Bean Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp coriander
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 cans cannellini beans 15 oz. each - Drained and rinsed
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 lemon juice of
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion until translucent. Add in the garlic and carrots and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the cumin, coriander, oregano, salt, pepper and cannellini beans. Stir and add in the vegetable broth. Turn the heat to medium high and bring the soup to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer 1 ½ cup of the soup to a bowl and blend it using an immersion blender. If using a regular blender, make sure it's heat-proof.
- Pour the blended soup back into the pot and give the soup a good stir. Add in the spinach and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until it's cooked.
- Taste and add more salt if needed. Add the lemon juice right before serving.
Video
Notes
- If a blender is not an option, you can mash some of the beans using the back of a wooden spoon while stirring.
- You can add other vegetables such as celery, potatoes, mushrooms and zucchini.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat or use a microwave.
- You can freeze this white bean soup for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw it in the fridge overnight and then reheat using a saucepan or a microwave.
Jessie
This is the perfect blend of cozy and hearty. I LOVE the trick about blending some of the soup to make the whole thing creamier without adding heavy cream. Definitely adding to our regular rotation!
kushigalu
Healthy and comforting white bean soup. Thanks for the recipe
Stephanie
My favorite soups are those with beans. I love the heartiness they add. This one looks so good. I bet even the kids would like it.
Kathleen
This is one hearty, comforting and flavorful soup. It's perfect for a busy weeknight meal or a cozy weekend dinner.
Tayler
I made this soup for dinner last night and it was incredible! My whole family loved it and we will definitely be adding to our regular rotation!
Carrie Robinson
Ooooooo.... this looks like the perfect bowl of comfort food to me! 🙂 Going to have to add this to my weekly dinner rotation soon.
Aimee Mars
I love this for soup season - we made it last night and it was a huge hit!
Jess
Love this soup with a side of crusty bread. Yummmmm
Mirlene
Love all the seasonings in this bean soup. I love all types of beans so this would be wonderful to have for this weather.
Beth
Oh, that looks so good. I love bean soup, especially during the fall and winter. I might add a hamhock to this.