This Tuscan White Bean Soup with Kale is a cozy and nourishing lunch or dinner that also happens to be vegetarian. It's made with simple ingredients—vegetables, protein-packed beans, and Italian herbs for flavor. Prep it ahead of time or make a batch from scratch in well under an hour.
This hearty bean soup is ideal for a cold winter night or a make-ahead lunch that you can quickly reheat during the week.
The ingredients are simple. You probably have a lot of them in your kitchen already. Canned beans, broth, Italian seasoning, and a few easy-to-find veggies like onion and carrots.
Serve it with a fresh, crusty bread—I love this no-knead loaf from Girl vs. Dough. A slice of homemade pizza or side of pasta would also be delicious. Or make it a soup and sandwich combo and serve with this Veggie Hummus Sandwich with Sweet Potato.
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Ingredients
The foundation for this recipe is an aromatic blend of onion, carrot, celery, shallot, and garlic — the most delicious soup starter (and it smells amazing, too).
These veggies are simmered in vegetable broth with cannellini beans, which add protein and hearty texture, and Italian seasoning for flavor. Stir in some kale (I like lacinato) for an extra boost of color and nutrients.
The result is an incredibly nourishing and convenient plant-based soup.
Grocery List:
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Salt
- Pepper
- Shallot (optional)
- Garlic
- Canned cannellini beans (also called white kidney beans)
- Italian seasoning
- Vegetable broth
- Kale - I prefer lacinato kale but any type works
Optional ingredients for serving:
- Parmesan cheese
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Fresh bread
See recipe card at the end of this post for exact quantities and preparation.
Instructions
This is a basic summary of how to make Tuscan bean soup. You can find more detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Simmer the vegetables, beans, and seasoning in broth.
Blend about half of the soup in a blender until smooth and creamy.
Pour the blended soup back into the pot and stir in kale.
Serve and enjoy!
Hint: Drain and rinse canned beans to reduce the total sodium levels in this soup. You can always add your own salt to taste.
Substitutions
Need to make a substitution? Here are a few ingredients that can be easily swapped.
- Vegan and dairy free: Omit parmesan cheese or substitute vegan parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast.
- Gluten free: Serve with gluten-free bread.
- Cannellini Beans: Substitute another type of white bean, such as great northern beans or navy beans. Dried beans can also be used if they are cooked in advance. Substitute 3 cups of cooked beans for 2 (15-ounce) cans.
- Kale: Use spinach instead of kale.
Variations
Want to change up the flavors and make this recipe your own? Here are a few ideas.
- Vegetarian Bean and Sausage - Add chopped vegetarian sausage.
- Tomato - Include a can of crushed tomato.
- Potato and Bean - Add chopped gold potatoes. See this vegan potato soup recipe on my website!
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board - You'll need these to chop the veggies.
- Large pot - For cooking the soup. I have used both my 2.75-quart Dutch oven and 8-quart stock pot to make this recipe.
- Blender or immersion blender - You will need a blender to puree a portion of the soup.
Storage
This recipe is great for making ahead, and it works well as a freezer meal, too.
Store the prepared soup in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to five days or freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating
Reheat leftover soup in a pot over low-medium heat on the stove, stirring often, until warmed through.
Or reheat soup in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until warm.
Top tip
Adding some of the soup to the blender makes the texture thick and creamy. Blend more of the soup, including the starchy beans, for thicker, creamier texture. You can also skip the blending step altogether to get a thinner, more broth-based texture.
FAQ
Cannellini beans (also called white kidney beans) are a type of white bean. Additional white bean varieties include great northern beans, navy beans, lima beans, and pinto beans.
One of the primary ways to thicken white bean soup is to blend a portion of the cooked soup, including the starchy beans, and then return it to the pot with the unblended portion. With this method, there are no additional thickening agents required.
Related
Looking for more easy soup recipes? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Tuscan White Bean Soup:
📖 Recipe
Tuscan White Bean and Kale Soup
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board
- Large pot
- blender or immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 1 medium shallot minced (optional)
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 3 cups chopped kale (1-pound bunch lacinato kale)
Optional for serving:
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Fresh bread
Instructions
- Add oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in onion, carrot, and celery, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Stir in shallot (if using) and garlic and cook 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Stir in cannellini beans and Italian seasoning and stir until evenly mixed. Pour in broth, bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.
- Transfer about half of the soup to a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds, or until smooth. (You can also blend about half of the soup in the pot with an immersion blender.) Pour blended soup back into the pot and stir until evenly mixed. Stir in kale and cook 4 minutes, or until tender.
- Serve with parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, and fresh bread if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Vegan and dairy free: omit parmesan cheese or substitute vegan parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast.
- Vegetarian: use vegetarian parmesan cheese.
- Gluten free: Serve with gluten-free bread.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to five days or store in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Reheat in a pot over low-medium heat on the stove, stirring often, until warmed through. Or reheat in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until warm.
- Nutrition facts are estimates only and do not include optional ingredients for serving.
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