This White Bean Soup is a healthy meal idea that’s easy to make with kale or spinach, bacon, savory broth, and white beans! It’s freezer friendly and easy to customize!
Be sure to pair this with my crusty, airy, No Knead Bread for dipping!
White Bean Soup
I love a good freezer recipe, and White Bean Soup is the perfect thing to pull from the freezer for a quick and easy meal. This soup is healthy, full of flavor, and easy to customize by adding different vegetables, seasonings, beans, and more.
The bacon in this recipe adds the best savory flavor, and a sprinkle of Parmesan at the end is just heavenly. Kale is my favorite way to pack in more nutrition, and spinach makes a great addition as well!
Check out how to make it below, and don’t miss my PRO tips, I have everything you need to know as far as what beans to use, substitution ideas, variations of this recipe, and more!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Cook bacon and set aside, reserve bacon drippings. Chop bacon once cooled.
Deglaze the skillet with white wine (or chicken broth) and simmer until reduced by half. Add bacon drippings back to the soup pot along with onions, carrots, and celery. Soften for 5 minutes, then add garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Add the flour, cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the beans, then add the chicken broth in splashes, stirring continuously.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle bubble and simmer for 30-40 minutes to concentrate the flavors. Add the kale and soften for 5 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese or sprinkle it on top of serving bowls. Serve!
Pro Tips
- Beans: I use Cannellini (White Kidney Beans) for this recipe, but you can use a variety of different kinds of white beans, including White Navy Beans or Great Northern Beans.
- For thicker broth: Use an extra can of beans and blend some of them into the broth with an immersion blender before the kale is added.
- Dry Beans: if using dry beans, I recommend making my Ham and Bean Soup recipe instead. (Bacon can be used instead of ham if preferred/needed.)
- Wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are great in this recipe. Chicken broth can be used if you don’t cook with wine.
- The Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder are flavor enhancers in this soup that can’t be tasted outright.
- Tomato paste (1 tbsp.) can be used instead of flour if needed/preferred.
- Feel free to stir in a little heavy cream or half and half at the end over low heat for a little more indulgence.
- Grate the Parmesan cheese from a block for best results. I use Belgioioso Parmesan cheese.
- If you like to add more meat to a soup like this, be sure to try my Pinto Bean Soup, made super flavorful with the addition of ground sausage!
- Top this soup with Ranch Oyster Crackers for even more flavor!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This soup does freeze/reheat well!
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 4.5 Quart Dutch Oven– This is the one I use that’s pictured in this recipe.
- Box Cheese Grater– Freshly grated cheese melts and tastes much better than packaged shredded cheese.
- Better Than Bouillon– This is what I always use for broth in my recipes. It takes very little space and makes it easy to measure out customized amounts of broth.
- Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
- Pinch Bowls– For measuring seasonings, etc. ahead of time.
- Soup Ladle
Try These Next
- Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Pinto Bean Soup
- Chicken Noodle Stir Fry
- Homemade Ramen
- Honey Garlic Shrimp
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Tried This Recipe?
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![A Dutch oven filled with white bean soup with a ladle in it.](jpg/white-bean-soup-f-200x200.jpg)
White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 6 strips thick-cut bacon
- 1/3 cup dry white wine, or chicken broth. See notes.
- 2 tablespoons butter, not needed if bacon drippings are used
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- ¾ cup carrots, diced
- 1 celery rib, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 2 (15.5 oz.) cans cannellini beans/white beans, drained. See notes.
- 1 ½ cups kale, can sub spinach
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a 4.5-quart soup pot slowly over low heat. (I cut my bacon in half, it’s easier to fit it in the pan and have it cook evenly.) While the bacon cooks, measure out remaining ingredients. Once cooked, set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Chop once cooled and reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings. (Butter can be used instead of drippings if needed)
- Add the white wine (or broth) to the pot over medium heat and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bacon remnants from the bottom of the pot, this will add more flavor to the soup. Simmer until reduced by half, 3-4 minutes.
- Add the reserved drippings to the pot along with the onions, carrots, and celery. Soften for 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 more minutes, until the raw flour smell is gone.
- Add the beans, then add the chicken broth in splashes, stirring continuously. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle bubble. Bubble gently over medium heat, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes to allow the flavors to concentrate. Stir occasionally as it simmers and run a silicone spatula along the bottom of the pot to lift any beans that might have settled.
- Add the kale and let it soften for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese or add the cheese to the top of serving bowls. Garnish with bacon and serve!
Notes
- Beans: I use Cannellini (White Kidney Beans) for this recipe, but you can use a variety of different kinds of white beans, including White Navy Beans or Great Northern Beans.
- For thicker broth: Use an extra can of beans and blend some of them into the broth with an immersion blender before the kale is added.
- Dry Beans: if using dry beans, I recommend making my Ham and Bean Soup recipe instead. (Bacon can be used instead of ham if preferred/needed.)
- Wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are great in this recipe. Chicken broth can be used if you don't cook with wine.
- The Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder are flavor enhancers in this soup that can't be tasted outright.
- Tomato paste (1 tbsp.) can be used instead of flour if needed/preferred.
- Feel free to stir in a little heavy cream or half and half at the end over low heat for a little more indulgence.
- Grate the Parmesan cheese from a block for best results. I use Belgioioso Parmesan cheese.
- If you like to add more meat to a soup like this, be sure to try my Pinto Bean Soup, made super flavorful with the addition of ground sausage!
- Top this soup with Ranch Oyster Crackers for even more flavor!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This soup does freeze/reheat well!
Nutrition information is an estimate and is per serving. This recipe makes approximately 5 servings.
Nutrition
This bean soup is very good. I’ve made it a few times now. I do like a thicker soup so I add extra beans and use the immersion blender as described in the pro tips. I’ve only used spinach and use a full pound. It’s delicious with freshly grated parmesan for each serving bowl. I love every soup recipe I’ve tried. Thank you.
I’m so happy you’re enjoying the soup recipes Cindy! I love my immersion blender so much, one of the best Christmas gifts I’ve ever received! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and leave a review!💖
Very good. And very easy.
The kids crushed it too!!
Wahooo! I’m so happy the kids crushed it, such a victory! Thanks so much for the great review Caroline❤️
Delicious soup, PACKED with flavor! Perfect for chilly, fall days here in the PNW. I will be making this again (and doubling the recipe next time!)
I’m so happy you liked it LeeAnn, can’t beat a cozy soup on a fall day!💗
My family loved it! Four adults with a variety of tastes and they all loved it! Will definitely make again! Thank you!
I am so happy to hear that Katherine, especially give the variety of tastes that you were serving this to! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this review, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie
This soup is packed with flavor and so delicious! It will become one of my winter regulars! Thanks for sharing!
You’re very welcome Joyce, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!😃
Can you make this soup in an Instapot?
Hi Rich, I don’t have tested Instant Pot instructions outlined for this recipe.
Made exactly as printed. Very tasty! It thickened up nicely while on the stove and did not require additional thickener. I didn’t have white wine so used chicken broth. I would definitely make this again. It was good comfort food on a cold Pacific Northwest day!
I’m so happy you felt the cozy vibes with this one Denise! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!❤️
Soup turned out perfect, as all the “Cozy Cook” recipes I make.
Awww, thanks so much Stacey, I appreciate your support so much!💗
This recipe is delicious. I love how the beans are really used as the thickener as well as for flavor. Of course I love bacon as well and this was a great excuse to make some!!! I just wanted you to know I LOVE this recipe and all your recipes. I love the spices you use as well as your flavor enhancers. Even though I don’t drink, I appreciate the dry wine flavor in many of your dishes as well. You’ve really got soup down pat. I know it’s your fav but it’s my fav too! Thank you so much for a wonderful new soup recipe for my family. I topped mine with the Parmesan as suggested and it just put the taste over the top for us.
Thanks so much for the wonderful comments Peggy!💗 I love that you appreciate the variety of spices, thanks again!
This and the Chicken Broccoli Rice Casseroles. Magnificent. I am 72 and always did duty cooking for my family. I don’t really like to cook but love the end result when it turns out well.
Theses recipes are a little bit work intensive but turned out so well, everyone loved them. Worth the whole effort of making them. Such good comfort food recipes!! Thank you, Stephanie….keep up the great work! Jude Trimnal
Thanks so much for the great comments and encouragement Jude❤️! I’m so happy you’re a fan of this one and the Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole! Thanks for your support!