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White Bean Soup

White Bean Soup with a clear golden garlic-herb broth and creamy cannellini beans, finished with wilted kale. Sautéed onion and garlic develop flavor before simmering, then you mash/blend part of the beans for a thick, velvety texture.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 390
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

cannellini beans
  • 3 can (15 oz) cannellini beans drained
kale or spinach
  • 4 cup kale or spinach chopped
onion
  • 1 onion diced
garlic
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
vegetable or chicken broth
  • 6 cup vegetable or chicken broth
olive oil
  • 3 tbsp olive oil for sautéing and serving
dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
parmesan rind
  • 1 parmesan rind
lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice for serving
parmesan
  • 0.25 cup parmesan shavings for serving
salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the base
  1. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large pot, then sauté the diced onion for 5 minutes until softened and translucent. Keep the heat at medium so the onions turn glossy without browning.
  2. Add the minced garlic, dried rosemary, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, then cook for 2 minutes. Stir until fragrant and slightly toasted, about 1–2 minutes visually.
Simmer and flavor
  1. Add the drained cannellini beans, broth, and parmesan rind, then bring to a boil. Look for steady bubbling across the surface.
  2. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Keep it at a gentle simmer with small bubbles rather than a full rolling boil.
  3. Remove the parmesan rind, then mash or blend about half the beans for a creamy texture. Stop when the soup looks thickened and partially smooth with some whole beans remaining.
Finish with kale and serve
  1. Add the chopped kale (or spinach) and cook for 5 minutes until wilted. The greens should turn bright and tender, visibly collapsing into the broth.
  2. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then finish with lemon juice, olive oil, and parmesan. Serve hot with a generous olive oil swirl and parmesan shavings.

Notes

Pro tip: don’t skip the parmesan rind—simmering it into the broth adds deep, savory flavor; remove it before mashing. Store covered in the fridge up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove until steaming. Freezing is yes (cool fully, freeze up to 3 months) though the kale/spinach may soften further. For a dietary swap, use vegetable broth and omit/replace any cheese with a vegetarian parmesan-style substitute if needed for strict vegetarian diets.