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Made with creamy white beans and Mediterranean flavors, this Tuscan white bean soup is a quick dinner recipe perfect for weeknights! Loaded with vegetables and parmesan cheese, we’re confident you’ll be adding this to your weekly rotation. It’s ready in under 30 minutes!

Tuscan white bean soup in a bowl with a spoon.
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Picture this: It’s chilly outside, the days are short, and you need a bowl of comfort to curl up with on the couch.

Enter: Tuscan White Bean Soup.

This is the best Tuscan White Bean Soup…ever

There, I said it. It’s a restaurant-quality white bean soup that is just what you need tonight. It’s:

  • Ready in 30 minutes, start to finish.
  • Made with pantry staples so you can keep the ingredients on hand for when the craving for soup strikes.
  • All done in one pot on the stove for quick clean-up.
  • Packed with flavor thanks to a simple blend of seasonings.

Reader rating

★★★★★

“This was delicious!!! Will definitely put on the weekly rotation! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!” —Paula

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Tuscan white bean soup in a bowl with a spoon.

Here’s what you’ll need

You build up this Italian soup by just adding flavor on flavor on flavor! This is just an overview. Jump to the recipe card for the full quantities.

  • Mirepoix: A fancy word for carrots, onion, celery, and garlic! Mirepoix is our flavorful base that we’ll build the soup on.
  • Tomato: Tomato paste and sun-dried tomatoes bring savory flavor to our soup. I like to freeze tomato paste in small portions, so I always have the right amount on hand (you’ll see in the video that I throw the frozen paste right in the pot)!
  • Seasonings: For that classic Italian flavor, a blend of Italian seasoning, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes is used.
  • Broth: Make it soup with broth, either from a carton, bouillon, or homemade broth (it’s easy to make!).
  • White Beans: While any type of white bean will work here (like navy beans or Great Northern), we’re going with 3 cans of cannellini beans.
  • Kale: The kale cooks until soft, so even kids won’t mind it here! You can also use spinach.
  • Cream: To give this soup a decadent texture, add a splash of heavy cream at the end. You could also use half-and-half or canned coconut milk here.
  • Parmesan: Finish it off with freshly grated parmesan! Grate it yourself for the best flavor.

Sarah’s Tip

Hi friends, Sarah here, the nutritionist and food scientist behind the recipe. If you’re looking for a lower-calorie option, you can replace the heavy cream with 2% milk. Be sure to warm the milk before adding it to ensure it won’t split, and add it once you’ve removed the soup from the stove!

Tuscan white bean soup in a ladle.

How to make Tuscan White Bean Soup

This one-pot soup is ready in under 30 minutes. This is just an overview. Jump to the recipe card for the full instructions.

  1. Make the flavor base, sautéing until the onions are soft.
  2. Add seasonings and cook until fragrant.
  3. Make it soup by adding broth and fillings.
  4. Serve warm, topped with croutons and fresh herbs!
Tuscan white bean soup in a bowl with a spoon.

Storage

To store, let cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

To freeze, transfer to a freezer-safe container or baggie. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.

Make it vegan

You can easily make this a vegan Tuscan soup by replacing the butter with margarine, using canned coconut milk instead of heavy cream, and omitting the parmesan (you can also use a sprinkle of nutritional yeast if you have it!).

Add More Veggies

Make this Tuscan soup even heartier by adding in more veggies! Here are some other veggies you could add:

  • Cauliflower
  • Potato
  • Mushrooms
  • Leek
  • Parsnip
  • Bell peppers
Tuscan white bean soup in a bowl with a spoon.

Serving Ideas

A good soup is made great by adding the right pairings and toppings! Here are a few of our favorites:

pro Tip

Serve this soup with ridiculously big croutons! I grabbed a loaf of sourdough from the store and cut it into large cubes, then followed these directions for baking homemade croutons.

Tuscan White Bean Soup Recipe (Vegetarian)

4.95 from 17 ratings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Made with creamy white beans and Mediterranean flavors, this Tuscan white bean soup recipe is a quick dinner recipe perfect for weeknights! Loaded with vegetables and parmesan cheese, we're confident you'll be adding this to your weekly rotation. Ready in under 30 minutes!

Ingredients 

  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, can sub dairy-free or oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 cup diced carrots, 2 to 3 carrots
  • 1 cup diced celery, 3 to 4 ribs
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 25 g
  • 2 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 4 cups vegetable broth, 1 L
  • 3 15-oz cans cannellini beans, drained, 425 g each
  • 2 cups kale, chopped
  • ½ cup heavy cream, 120 mL
  • ½ cup grated parmesan, 35 g
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Instructions 

  • Flavor Base: In a large pot set over medium, heat 2 Tbsp unsalted butter. Add 1 medium yellow onion, 1 cup diced carrots, 1 cup diced celery, and 4 cloves garlic. Cook until onion is soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
    Mirepoix in a pan.
  • Seasonings: Stir in 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 2 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp red pepper flakes. Continue cooking for 3 minutes until fragrant.
    Flavor base for Tuscan white bean soup in a pan.
  • Fillings: Add 4 cups vegetable broth, 3 15-oz cans cannellini beans, and 2 cups kale. Cover and let simmer for at least 10 minutes, or until kale is soft.
    Tuscan white bean soup in a pan.
  • Serve: Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup heavy cream and ½ cup grated parmesan. Serve warm, optionally topped with croutons and fresh herbs.
    Tuscan white bean soup in a pan.

Notes

To store, let cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To freeze, transfer to a freezer-safe container or baggie. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Make it vegan: Easily make this a vegan Tuscan soup by replacing the butter with margarine, using canned coconut milk in place of the heavy cream, and omitting the parmesan (you can use a sprinkle of nutritional yeast in its place if you have it!)
Add veggies: Feel free to swap out the veggies with things like cauliflower, potato, or parsnip.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 37.1g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 13.2g | Saturated Fat: 8.2g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 1008mg | Potassium: 473mg | Fiber: 13.7g | Sugar: 7g | Calcium: 275mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.

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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4.95 from 17 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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49 Comments

  1. Ryan says:

    4 stars
    We absolutely loved the soup—so easy to make and incredibly flavorful. However, next time we will triple the amount of sun-dried tomatoes to enhance that rich, savory taste even more!

    1. The Live Eat Learn Team says:

      Thanks for the sweet review and love that you’re finding ways to tweak it, happy cooking!

  2. Ren'e says:

    5 stars
    Good recipe. My husband is absolutely crazy about it. It’s a bit on the spicy side for me so I prefer your cream of broccoli soup recipe. But it’s a really good soup and pretty easy to make if you soak the cashews overnight in water. That way you can be certain they will make a smooth creamy texture for a vegan cream ( 1:1 ratio of cashew to vegan milk in nutri bullet). Yes I recommend this soup it has great flavors

    1. The Live Eat Learn Team says:

      Thanks so much for making it and sharing what worked!

  3. Cathy says:

    5 stars
    This was delicious!! Made it exactly as written and I’ll make it again. Thanks for the great recipe!

    1. Sarah Bond says:

      I’m thrilled to hear it was a hit, Cathy! Happy eating!

  4. Anita says:

    Where does all the sodium in this recipe come from? Yikes! I need to reduce it.

    1. Sarah Bond says:

      The sodium is coming from the vegetable broth, parmesan, and beans. To reduce the sodium you could use a low sodium vegetable broth and be sure to rinse the beans very well before using them or cook them from scratch!

  5. Suzanne Kennedy says:

    I can’t wait to make, looks outstanding!

  6. Joyfulparadise says:

    5 stars
    Excellent soup. Easy to make, quick, and delicious. I used swiss chard since thats what i had in my garden. Thank u so much!

    1. The Live Eat Learn Team says:

      Big smiles over here, thanks for trying it!

  7. Esther says:

    Hi,
    Love your recipes! We LOVE the Tuscan White Bean soup, but I I must increase the amount of protein in it. Suggestions, please?
    Thanks!

    1. Sarah Bond says:

      Hi Esther! Try blending cottage cheese and using that in place of the heavy cream. Just stir it in after removing from the heat!

    2. Esther says:

      Dear Sarah,
      thanks for the cottage cheese suggestion. i should have mentioned: we’re off dairy. Wondering what you think about adding edamames? I’ll add them at the end, as they won’t require cooking.

    3. Sarah Bond says:

      That would be tasty! Or you could even blend some white beans to make it creamy without the cream.

  8. Esther says:

    Dear Sarah,

    Forgot to mention earlier – my whole family LOVES the No Oats Black Bean burgers, but our nutritionist says there’s not enough protein in a serving for our purposes, how do you suggest we increase it in that recipe?

    Thanks!

    1. Sarah Bond says:

      For that one, I would probably just try pairing it with a high protein side dish. An alternative that I haven’t tried but could be a fun experiment would be to add a non-flavored protein powder to the dough!

  9. Lina says:

    5 stars
    My whole family enjoyed this healthy recipe. Thank you!

    1. The Live Eat Learn Team says:

      So glad it hit the spot Lina, thanks for sharing!

  10. Wendy Hess MS RD says:

    Skip the heavy cream ( and high saturated fat) and puréed some beans to add “creaminess “ and protein.