Tuscan white bean soup garlic (Printable Version)

A rustic soup of creamy beans, fresh vegetables, and herbs served with crisp garlicky bread.

# What You’ll Need:

→ For the Soup

01 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
07 - 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
08 - 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes, optional
09 - 2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
10 - 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
11 - 4 cups vegetable broth
12 - 2 cups fresh spinach or kale, chopped
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
15 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, optional

→ For the Garlic Bread

16 - 1 baguette or Italian loaf, sliced
17 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
18 - 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
19 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
20 - Pinch of salt

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 6 to 7 minutes until vegetables soften and become fragrant.
02 - Add minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, and chili flakes to the pot. Cook for 1 minute until the aromatics release their fragrance.
03 - Stir in cannellini beans and diced tomatoes. Pour in the vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
04 - Add spinach or kale and simmer for an additional 5 minutes until greens are wilted. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice if using.
05 - While the soup simmers, preheat your oven broiler to high temperature.
06 - In a small bowl, combine softened butter, minced garlic, parsley, and a pinch of salt until well blended.
07 - Spread the garlic butter mixture evenly over bread slices. Arrange bread on a baking sheet and broil for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and fragrant.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve hot with garlic bread on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour but tastes like you've been cooking all day.
  • The soup actually gets better as it sits, so you can make it ahead and reheat without any fuss.
  • One pot plus a baking sheet means minimal cleanup, which is honestly half the battle on a weeknight.
02 -
  • Don't skip the rinsing step with canned beans, or your beautiful soup will turn cloudy and starchy tasting no matter what else you do right.
  • If the soup tastes flat at the end, it's almost always because it needs either salt or acid (lemon juice), not more herbs or longer cooking time.
03 -
  • Taste as you cook, not after; adjusting seasoning in stages means you'll end up with better flavor than trying to fix it all at once at the end.
  • If you can't find good cannellini beans, white kidney beans work just as well and have a slightly firmer texture that some people prefer.
Return