This Tuscan White Bean Soup is a delicious and rustic Italian soup made with cannellini beans, carrots, celery, kale and a handful of Italian herbs. A portion of the soup is blended to create an ultra creamy texture without any cream.

In the recipe, I spend time making a sofrito (extracting extra flavor from the carrots, celery, and onions), which adds depth of flavor. Make it for a hearty and wholesome dinner with leftovers for lunch the next day.

Tuscan White Bean Soup that is vibrant in color with cannellini beans, orange carrots, and green kale in a bowl on a soft cream colored napkin.

This recipe is inspired by both a craving for something healthy and an experience cooking with an Italian chef in Rome, who made a creamy dish without any cream.

Recently, after a short stretch of camping and eating lots of hot dogs, my husband and I wanted something that had greens and beans and vegetables. So, I made a Tuscan white bean soup, and like the chef in Italy (I took a pasta-making class back when I lived in Spain - he slow-cooked artichokes to make a creamy sauce without cream), I made a creamy dish without any cream by blending a portion of the soup and returning it to the pot.

Ingredients

Below are the ingredients needed to make this Tuscan White Bean Soup.

Olive oil: Use a mild tasting extra virgin olive oil.
Onion: I recommend mincing the onion so that it adds flavor and melts into the sauce.
Carrots and Celery: Thinly sliced. They add flavor and color.
Garlic: Add the garlic after creating the soffritto to ensure that it does not burn.
Chicken broth: This can be substituted for vegetable broth if preferred. Use low-sodium chicken broth.
Cannellini beans: Drain and rinse the beans.
Tomato Paste: Just 1½ tablespoons. It adds flavor and a rich color. Use leftover tomato paste to make Lasagna with Béchamel, Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup, or Marry Me Chicken.
Salt, Bay Leaves, Thyme, Basil, Black Pepper, and Oregano: Italian seasonings to add flavor. Use dried spices.
Rosemary: I love to use fresh rosemary because it is so bright and vibrant in flavor, but if you do not have access to fresh rosemary, use ½ teaspoon dried rosemary.
Lemon Juice: Adding a small amount of acidity to the soup brings out flavor, similar to how salt brings out flavor.
Kale: Be sure to remove the center stems and dice the kale into pieces small enough to fit on a spoon.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Tuscan White Bean Soup

Below are the step-by-step instructions and photos for how to make Tuscan White Bean Soup, including the soffritto step (this takes a little more time, but it's not at all difficult and worth it for the flavor).

Note: The recipe card with instructions, ingredient list, and quantities is included further below these step-by-step photos.

A Dutch oven with onion, and with onion, carrots and celery before and after being cooked slowly for 20 minutes.

Step 1. Soffritto: Bring a large pot or Dutch oven to just under medium heat (think a setting of 4 out of 10). Add the olive oil and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes.

Add the carrots and celery, stir, and cover for 5 minutes. Stir again, cover for 5 more minutes, repeating two more times until the vegetables have cooked for 20 minutes total. Adjust the temperature as needed to ensure the vegetables do not burn. Add the garlic and stir for 1 more minute.

The soup before and after simmering for 15 minutes in a Dutch oven.

Step 2. Build the Soup: Add the chicken broth, cannellini beans, tomato paste, salt, bay leaves, thyme, basil, black pepper, oregano, and rosemary. Stir and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

A portion of the soup being removed, blended and returned to the soup to create a creamy base.

REMOVE THE BAY LEAVES: Be sure to remove the bay leaves before blending the soup.

Step 3. Blend a Portion of the Soup: Remove about 2½ cups of the soup, blend it, and return it to the pot (or use an immersion blender). This creates a creamy, rich soup without any cream.

Adding the kale to the Tuscan White Bean Soup and the finished soup in a bowl.

Step 4. Add the Kale and Serve: Add the kale, stir and let cook for 1-2 minutes to soften. Serve warm in individual bowls or with crusty bread if you like.

How to Serve, Store, and Freeze

To Serve: Serve with crusty sourdough bread or make this Focaccia, which is perfect for dipping. Or, combine it with this Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad, or with a light Pasta with Pancetta and Peas.
To Store: If planning to store the soup for leftovers, it's best to add the kale to individual bowls, as it does not reheat as well. Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days and reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave.
To Freeze: This soup can be frozen in an airtight container (I recommend leaving out the kale) for up to 3 months.

Tips for Making the Best Tuscan White Bean Soup:

Soffritto: A soffritto is made by slowly cooking vegetables to extract flavor and create depth in soups or sauces. I use this technique here (and in this Fagioli Soup) to make an awesome, delicious soup.
Creamy Broth: To make a creamy broth without any cream, I use 3 full cans of cannellini beans and blend a portion of the soup to create a creamy texture.
Acid: To balance the richness of the soup and bring out the flavor, add a splash of lemon (acidity) at the end.
Customize: If you want the soup to be thinner, add a little more chicken stock (or water). For a thicker soup, let it simmer a few minutes longer to thicken up.
Add More Protein: Though I find this soup plenty filling, if you want to add more protein, feel free to toss in some rotisserie chicken or cooked Italian sausage.
Kale and Leftovers: If you plan to eat all the soup right away, add the kale directly to the pot and let it soften. However, if you are considering having any leftovers, I’d recommend adding the kale directly to individual bowls topped with hot soup, which will also soften the kale. This enables you to have fresh kale in your bowl the next day, which is just a much better experience than day-old-soup-kale.