White Bean Soup (Easy Recipe)

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White bean soup is a tasty meal for cold days. You can make it quickly with items you likely have in your kitchen. This easy recipe takes just 40 minutes from start to finish and serves 6 people. The soup has beans, veggies, and spices that blend into a warm, filling dish.

You’ll love how simple it is to cook this soup. Start by sautéing onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil. Then add garlic and herbs for extra flavor. The beans and broth go in next, followed by spinach at the end. A quick blend makes the soup creamy. Top it with cheese and parsley before serving.

Exact Ingredients List

Here’s what you’ll need to make this tasty white bean soup:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 3 cans (15 ounces each) white beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 cups chopped spinach
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Make sure to have these ingredients ready before you start cooking. The prep work is quick and easy!

You can adjust the amounts based on your taste. Feel free to add more garlic if you love its flavor, or use less if you prefer a milder taste.

Don’t forget to rinse and drain the beans. This step helps remove excess sodium and improves the soup’s texture.

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a big pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook them for 5-7 minutes until soft.

Toss in garlic, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Let it cook for 1 minute until you smell the garlic.

Pour in white beans and broth. Bring it to a boil. Then turn down the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

Add spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes until it wilts. Take out the bay leaf.

Mix in Parmesan cheese. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you like.

Scoop 2 cups of soup into a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour it back into the pot and stir.

Serve the soup in bowls. Top with extra Parmesan and parsley.

Your white bean soup is ready! Enjoy it while it’s hot. It’s perfect for a cold day. The soup has lots of veggies, beans, and cheese. It’s both tasty and good for you.

Possible Substitutes List

You can easily swap out ingredients in this white bean soup recipe. Here are some tasty options:

Beans:

• Cannellini beans
• Great Northern beans
• Navy beans

Greens:

• Kale
• Swiss chard
• Collard greens

Broth:

• Vegetable broth (for a vegetarian version)
• Chicken broth
• Bone broth

Herbs:

• Fresh thyme instead of dried
• Fresh rosemary instead of dried
• Oregano

Want to change up the veggies? Try these:

• Zucchini
• Yellow squash
• Bell peppers

For a dairy-free version, skip the Parmesan or use nutritional yeast. You can also add some lemon juice for extra flavor.

If you don’t have fresh parsley, try cilantro or chives as a garnish. They’ll add a nice pop of color and taste to your soup.

How To Make It Diabetes-Friendly

This white bean soup is already pretty diabetes-friendly, but you can make a few tweaks to improve it further. Use low-sodium broth to cut down on salt. This helps control blood pressure, which is important for diabetes management.

Try swapping some of the white beans for lower-carb vegetables like zucchini or bell peppers. This lowers the overall carb content while keeping the soup filling and nutritious.

Go easy on the Parmesan cheese or use a smaller amount of a stronger-flavored cheese. You’ll still get great flavor with fewer calories and less saturated fat.

Add extra fiber by tossing in some chopped kale along with the spinach. Fiber helps slow down digestion and prevents blood sugar spikes.

Consider these optional additions to boost nutrition:

• 1/2 cup quinoa for extra protein and fiber
• 1 cup diced butternut squash for vitamin A
• 2 tbsp chia seeds for omega-3 fatty acids

Serve smaller portions as a starter rather than a main dish. Pair it with a side salad for a balanced, diabetes-friendly meal.

Tips, Tricks & Storing

For extra flavor, try adding a splash of lemon juice before serving. It brightens up the taste and adds a nice zing.

Don’t have fresh spinach? Frozen works too! Just thaw and drain it before adding to the soup.

You can make this soup creamier by blending more than 2 cups. Experiment to find your perfect texture.

Got leftovers? Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The soup may thicken in storage, so add a bit of broth when reheating.

Freezing is a great option too. Let the soup cool completely, then portion it into freezer-safe containers. It’ll keep for up to 3 months.

When reheating frozen soup, thaw it overnight in the fridge. Then warm it gently on the stove, stirring often.

For a heartier meal, try adding cooked pasta or rice to your bowl before ladling in the hot soup.

Make it vegan by skipping the Parmesan or using a plant-based alternative. The soup is still delicious without it!