This recipe recreates the hearty soup shown in your photo: creamy but without needing heavy cream, packed with white beans, vegetables, and leafy greens. Blending a portion of the beans into the broth gives it that naturally thick, velvety texture. White beans are particularly useful here because they contribute both plant protein and fiber.
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What You Eat
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Servings
6 generous bowls
Prep
15 minutes
Cook
35–40 minutes
Total
About 50–55 minutes
Ingredients
Soup
2 cans (15 oz / 425 g each) cannellini or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, sliced or diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 medium potato, peeled and diced — optional, for extra creaminess
5 cups (1.2 L) low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups chopped kale
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan — optional
1–2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing
Optional for an even creamier soup
¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream or
½ cup unsweetened milk
Tip: You really don’t need cream. Puréeing some of the beans produces a creamy consistency while keeping the soup relatively light. Similar white-bean soup recipes use this technique to create body without relying on large amounts of dairy.
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Amazon Web Services, Inc.
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Detailed Method
1. Prepare the beans
Drain and rinse the canned beans thoroughly.
Set aside about 1½ cups of whole beans.
Take the remaining beans and blend them with about 1 cup of the broth until mostly smooth.
This is the secret to the creamy appearance in the photo.
You can make the purée completely smooth or leave it slightly chunky.
2. Build the vegetable base
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
Add:
Onion
Carrot
Celery
Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the garlic and cook for another 30–60 seconds.
Don’t brown the garlic heavily—it can become bitter.
3. Add the seasonings
Stir in:
Thyme
Oregano
Rosemary
Paprika
Black pepper
Bay leaf
Cook for about 30 seconds.
The heat releases the oils from the dried herbs and makes the soup much more aromatic.
4. Add broth and potato
Pour in the remaining broth.
Add the diced potato and bring everything to a gentle boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover partially, and simmer for approximately 12–15 minutes, or until the potato and carrots are tender.
5. Make it creamy
Add the blended bean mixture.
Stir well.
Simmer for another 5–7 minutes.
The soup should noticeably thicken.
If it becomes too thick, add another ½–1 cup broth or water.
6. Add the whole beans
Stir in the reserved whole beans.
Cook for 5 minutes.
This gives you the combination visible in the photograph—some beans remain whole while the blended beans make the broth creamy.
7. Add the kale
Add the chopped kale.
Simmer for approximately 3–5 minutes, just until the kale becomes tender but remains green.
For a softer kale texture, cook another 2–3 minutes.
8. Finish the soup
Remove the bay leaf.
Add:
Lemon juice
Parmesan, if using
Fresh parsley
Additional salt and black pepper to taste
Finish with a small drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
Taste test
The soup should taste:
creamy → savory → slightly herbal → fresh and bright from the lemon.
If it tastes flat, don’t immediately add lots of salt. Try adding another teaspoon of lemon juice first.
How to Get the Look in the Photo
For a bowl that closely resembles the pictured soup:
Keep about half the beans whole.
Blend the other half.
Use orange carrot slices rather than tiny diced carrots.
Cut celery into small pieces.
Use roughly chopped curly kale.
Don’t overcook the kale.
Add freshly cracked black pepper on top.
Finish with parsley and a tiny olive-oil drizzle.
Serve immediately in a deep, warm bowl.
The contrast between the creamy broth, white beans, orange carrots and dark-green kale gives it the same rustic appearance.
Nutrition Information
Assuming 6 servings, using vegetable broth, 2 cans of beans, 2 tablespoons olive oil and no cream or Parmesan, the approximate nutrition is:
Nutrient Per serving
Calories ~270–300 kcal
Protein ~13–15 g
Carbohydrates ~43–47 g
Fiber ~11–13 g
Fat ~7–9 g
Saturated fat ~1 g
Sugar ~6–8 g
Actual values vary considerably with the bean brand, broth and amount of oil used. For comparison, a University of Rhode Island white-bean soup provides about 170 calories, 12 g protein and 11 g fiber per 1¼-cup serving, while USDA-style bean soups can provide around 10–13 g fiber per serving.
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University of Rhode Island
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White beans themselves are a strong source of plant protein and fiber; USDA-derived data list about 23 g protein and 15 g fiber per 100 g of dry white beans.
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What You Eat
Is it high in protein?
Moderately high for a vegetable soup. The beans provide most of the protein. If you want a higher-protein meal, add chicken, turkey, or serve it alongside Greek yogurt or a protein-rich side.
Is it high in fiber?
Yes. Beans plus kale and vegetables make this a fiber-rich soup.
Nut & Allergen Information
Nuts: This recipe contains no tree nuts or peanuts as written.
However:
Nutrition Information
Assuming 6 servings, using vegetable broth, 2 cans of beans, 2 tablespoons olive oil and no cream or Parmesan, the approximate nutrition is:
Nutrient Per serving
Calories ~270–300 kcal
Protein ~13–15 g
Carbohydrates ~43–47 g
Fiber ~11–13 g
Fat ~7–9 g
Saturated fat ~1 g
Sugar ~6–8 g
Actual values vary considerably with the bean brand, broth and amount of oil used. For comparison, a University of Rhode Island white-bean soup provides about 170 calories, 12 g protein and 11 g fiber per 1¼-cup serving, while USDA-style bean soups can provide around 10–13 g fiber per serving.
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University of Rhode Island
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Check your broth label for allergen information.
Check canned beans if you have severe allergies.
Parmesan adds milk/dairy.
Cream and milk also add dairy.
For a completely dairy-free version, simply omit Parmesan and cream.
For vegan soup, use vegetable broth and omit Parmesan/dairy.
Bean allergy: White beans are legumes, so anyone with a known legume allergy should use appropriate caution.
Easy Variations
Vegan
Use vegetable broth and omit Parmesan/cream.
Extra creamy
Blend 2 cups of beans instead of 1½ cups.
Higher protein
Add:
1½ cups shredded cooked chicken, or
200–250 g cooked turkey.
Spicy
Add:
¼–½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or
a pinch of cayenne.
Mediterranean
Add:
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
extra oregano
lemon zest
chopped parsley
Italian-style
Add Parmesan and a little rosemary. A similar Tuscan bean soup from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs uses white beans, tomatoes, spinach, herbs and Parmesan.
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Nutrition VA
With spinach
Replace the kale with 3–4 cups fresh spinach. Spinach only needs a few minutes to wilt into the soup.
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Nutrition VA
Storage
Refrigerator
Cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
The soup will thicken considerably as it sits.
When reheating, add a splash of broth or water and stir.
Freezer
Freeze for up to approximately 3 months.
For best texture, freeze the soup before adding cream or Parmesan. Add those after reheating.
Recipe Q&A
Can I use dried white beans?
Absolutely. Soak them according to package directions and cook until tender before making the soup. Canned beans are simply much faster.
Can I use Great Northern beans instead of cannellini?
Yes. Great Northern, cannellini, navy and other mild white beans work well.
Why is my soup not creamy?
Blend more of the beans, or use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup directly in the pot.
Can I make it without potato?
Yes. The potato isn’t essential. The beans themselves provide plenty of thickening.
Can I use milk instead of cream?
Yes. Add it toward the end and avoid aggressively boiling the soup afterward.
Why add lemon juice?
A small amount of acid balances the richness of the beans and olive oil and makes the vegetables taste brighter.
Can I use frozen kale?
Yes. Add it toward the end and cook until heated through.
How do I make it thicker?
Blend another ½–1 cup of beans, or use an immersion blender for a few seconds.
How do I make it thinner?
Add warm broth or water a little at a time.
Can I make it in a slow cooker?
Yes, although sautéing the onion, carrot, celery and garlic first gives better flavor. Add the beans, vegetables, broth and herbs and cook until the vegetables are tender; add kale near the end.
Is this soup a complete meal?
It can be. Beans provide protein and fiber, while the vegetables add micronutrients. For a more substantial dinner, serve it with whole-grain bread, a salad, or add chicken.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes—it’s actually better the next day. The beans and vegetables have more time to absorb the herbs and broth. Add extra liquid when reheating because it thickens overnight.
What should I serve with it?
Excellent choices are:
Crusty sourdough
Garlic toast
Whole-grain bread
Simple green salad
Roasted vegetables
Grilled chicken
Best finishing touch: a drizzle of good olive oil, freshly cracked black pepper, parsley, and a squeeze of lemon right before serving.