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A bowl of white bean soup with carrots and celery, topped with herbs, and a spoon inside the bowl.

White Bean Soup

This hearty white bean soup is creamy, comforting, and flavorful, made with wholesome and budget-friendly ingredients. So easy too!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 (16-ounce) bag dry Navy beans or similar small white beans
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 medium carrots ½-inch diced (about 1 ½ cups)
  • 2 stalks celery ½-inch diced (about 1 cup )
  • 1 medium onion ½-inch diced (about 1 ½ cups)
  • 3 cloves garlic minced (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions
 

  • The night before you make the soup (or 8 hours before), place the beans in a very large bowl and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain the beans, rinse under cold running water and pick out any small stones, then drain again.
    A bowl of white beans soaking in water on a gray countertop next to a cloth and a small empty cup.
  • In a Dutch oven or similar large, sturdy pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and rosemary. Let the vegetables cook until beginning to soften and the onion is turning translucent, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
    Chopped carrots, celery, and onions sautéing in a large metal pot.
  • Stir in the beans, salt, smoked paprika, and pepper and let cook 30 seconds. Add the broth, water, and bay leaves.
    A pot of white bean soup with diced carrots and celery in a clear broth, viewed from above.
  • Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and simmer until the beans are tender, about 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and run a spoon along the bottom of the pot to keep the beans from sticking.
    A pot of homemade white bean soup with carrots, celery, and onions simmering in broth.
  • If you'd like the soup creamy, use an immersion blender to puree it, leaving it fairly chunky (or transfer a few ladles of the soup to a blender and puree—be careful, hot soup splatters!—then return to the pot).
    A hand uses an immersion blender to blend a pot of chunky white bean soup.
  • Remove the soup from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice. Carefully taste and adjust the seasoning as you like. Serve hot with a generous sprinkle of parmesan.
    A pot of creamy white bean soup with carrots and celery being stirred with a wooden spoon.

Notes

  • TO STORE: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
  • TO REHEAT: Warm in a saucepan over medium-low heat or microwave individual bowls until heated through. You may need to add more broth or water when reheating.
  • TO FREEZE: Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 6)Calories: 351kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 18gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gPotassium: 1045mgFiber: 21gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 5279IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 137mgIron: 4mg
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