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My marry me white bean soup is rich, creamy, and built on the sun-dried tomato Tuscan flavor that made this recipe family famous, with two cans of white beans, wilted kale, and fresh basil in a broth that tastes like it simmered all afternoon.

A bowl of white bean and kale soup with sun-dried tomatoes and grated cheese, with a spoon resting inside the bowl.
One pot, 30 minutes, and it earns the “Marry Me” name every time.
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The marry me family is the most loved collection of recipes on this site, and this soup might be the coziest member yet. If you’ve made my marry me chickpeas or marry me butter beans, you already know the flavor: sun-dried tomatoes cooked down with garlic until jammy, warm spices, and a creamy finish that ties it all together.

For this white bean soup rendition, half the beans get mashed into a chunky paste directly in the pot, which thickens the broth from within and gives the soup a creamy body before any cream even enters the picture.

The Soup That Earns Its Name

  • Mashing half the beans thickens the soup naturally, no flour or cornstarch needed
  • Sun-dried tomatoes and smoked paprika build the signature marry me depth
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day as the flavors settle in
Close-up of a soup with white beans, shredded greens, sun-dried tomatoes, and grated cheese on top.
A bowl of creamy soup with white beans, chopped greens, sun-dried tomatoes, and grated cheese in a white dish.

Key Ingredients

  • White beans: Cannellini and Great Northern both work well. The first can gets mashed into the flavor base to thicken the soup; the second stays whole for texture. Butter beans also work and produce a creamier, more substantial bite.
  • Sun-dried tomatoes: Packed in oil, drained before using. They’re the backbone of the marry me flavor and there’s no substitute that produces the same concentrated, slightly sweet depth.
  • Kale: Four to five cups, chopped and stirred in at the end. Well, I love the chewy bite that kale brings to the soup, if you’re feeding picky eaters, spinach is more tender and maybe more palatable.
  • Fresh basil: Stirred in with the kale. Fresh specifically. Dried basil in a soup this simple tastes dusty rather than bright.
  • Parmesan: For serving. Freshly grated over the hot soup, it melts into the surface and adds the salty, savory finish the marry me recipes are known for!
Various soup ingredients in bowls and cups, labeled: vegetable broth, cream, basil, butter, onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, seasonings, kale, and white beans, arranged on a countertop.

What to serve with marry me white bean soup

Crusty bread for dipping is non-negotiable here. The soup also pairs well with a bright, acidic salad to cut the richness, and my vegetarian Caesar salad does exactly that. If you’re building out a full marry me menu, my marry me mushrooms make a rich skillet main that shares the same Tuscan DNA.

Love this recipe? My creamy gnocchi soup with white beans is the natural next soup to try when this one becomes a regular, or try my veggie-loaded Tuscan soup.

A bowl of white bean and kale soup topped with grated cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, with a spoon in the bowl and bread, basil, and cheese nearby.
A white bowl filled with bean and kale soup, topped with sun-dried tomatoes and grated cheese, sits on a green surface next to bread and a spoon.
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Marry Me White Bean Soup (with Mashed Beans and Kale)

By: Sarah Bond
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
This marry me white bean soup is rich, creamy and loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, white beans, wilted kale and fresh basil in a deeply flavorful Tuscan broth

Ingredients 

  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • ½ cup finely diced yellow onion, about ½ an onion
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained and roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp each oregano, crushed red pepper, smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp each salt, pepper
  • 2 15-oz cans white beans, divided
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 4 to 5 cups chopped kale
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
  • To serve: parmesan, crusty bread
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Instructions 

  • Flavor Base: Heat 2 Tbsp unsalted butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add ½ cup finely diced yellow onion, 4 cloves garlic (minced), ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, and spices. Cook until onion is a bit soft and translucent, about five minutes.
    Chopped onions, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, oil, and spices in a light gray pan on a light surface, ready to be cooked.
  • Mash Beans: Add 1 15-oz cans white beans (drained). Use a potato masher to mash the beans into a chunky paste.
    A glass bowl filled with cannellini beans, some whole and some partially mashed with a metal potato masher, sits on a light green textured surface.
  • Simmer: Add remaining 1 15-oz cans white beans (unmashed) and 4 cups vegetable broth. Cover and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
    A pot of orange broth with white beans being stirred by a wooden spatula.
  • Serve: Right before serving, stir in 4 to 5 cups chopped kale, ½ cup heavy cream, and ¼ cup chopped fresh basil. Stir briefly to help the kale wilt.
    Serve warm, topped with fresh grated parmesan, served with crusty bread.
    A pot of soup containing white beans, chopped kale, sun-dried tomatoes, and broth with a ladle resting inside.

Notes

Can I make this vegan? Yes, with three swaps. Use olive oil or vegan butter in place of the butter, full-fat coconut cream or a neutral plant-based cream in place of the heavy cream, and either skip the parmesan or use a vegan version. The soup’s depth comes from the sun-dried tomatoes and spices, so it holds up well to the swaps.
Can I use dried beans instead of canned? Yes. Cook about one and a half cups of dried white beans until fully tender before starting the recipe, then proceed as written, mashing half and adding half whole. Home-cooked beans have a creamier texture and hold their shape slightly better than canned, which makes them worth the extra step when you have the time.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. The soup thickens as it sits since the mashed beans continue absorbing liquid, so add a splash of broth or water when reheating. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat. The flavor is noticeably better on day two.
Freezing works with one caveat: the cream can separate slightly when thawed. For best results, freeze the soup before adding the cream, kale, and basil, then stir those in fresh when reheating. Frozen, it keeps for up to three months.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!

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