Description
This comforting Tuscan White Bean Soup combines creamy cannellini beans, hearty vegetables, and aromatic herbs to create a rich, flavorful dish perfect for any season. The soup is slowly sautéed, simmered, and partially blended to achieve a velvety texture while retaining some chunkiness. Made with simple ingredients like kale, carrots, celery, and a touch of white wine, this recipe offers a wholesome and satisfying meal that can be enjoyed on its own or paired with crusty bread.
Ingredients
Scale
Beans and Broth
- 3 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 ½ – 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth, as needed
- â…“ cup white wine (such as pinot grigio; optional)
Vegetables
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 2 cups chopped kale, stems removed and finely chopped
Seasonings and Herbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (omit for less spice)
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Saute the Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté until it starts to brown slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Cook the Vegetables: Stir in the minced garlic, diced celery, and chopped carrots. Continue to sauté for about 10 minutes, allowing the vegetables to soften and brown, which deepens the soup’s flavor.
- Deglaze with Wine: Pour in the white wine and cook for around 5 minutes until most of the liquid evaporates, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot for extra flavor.
- Add Beans and Seasonings: Add the drained cannellini beans, tomato paste, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, and 2 ½ cups of broth. Stir well to combine.
- Simmer: Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for 15 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Blend for Creaminess: Discard the bay leaves. Transfer about 2 ½ to 3 cups of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth, being careful with hot liquids. Pour the blended mixture back into the pot and stir well.
- Adjust Consistency: If the soup is too thick, add more broth as needed to reach your desired consistency.
- Add Kale: Stir in the finely chopped kale and let it simmer for a few minutes until the kale wilts and becomes tender. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired, adding more salt, pepper, or a squeeze of lemon juice if preferred.
- Serve: Enjoy your soup warm, paired with rustic (gluten-free) bread or as is.
Notes
- For a vegetarian or vegan version, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- You can omit the white wine if preferred; water or additional broth can substitute.
- Adjust the red pepper flakes to control the soup’s spiciness.
- Blending part of the soup gives it a creamy texture without using cream.
- Adding kale at the end preserves its vibrant color and tender texture.
- This soup stores well and tastes even better the next day.
