White Bean and Parmesan Soup (Print)

Smooth, creamy white bean soup with aromatic vegetables and rich Parmesan, ready in under an hour.

# Components:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
04 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Beans & Liquid

06 - 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
07 - 4 cups vegetable stock
08 - 1 bay leaf

→ Dairy & Seasoning

09 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
11 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 - 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
13 - 1/2 cup heavy cream

→ Garnish

14 - Chopped fresh parsley

# Method:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots, sautéing for 6-8 minutes until vegetables soften and become translucent.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add drained beans, vegetable stock, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
05 - Remove bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, purée soup until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, transfer in batches to a blender and process until desired consistency is reached.
06 - Stir in Parmesan cheese and heavy cream, heating gently until cheese melts completely and soup reaches desired temperature. Adjust seasoning to taste.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top with additional grated Parmesan and fresh parsley. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's ready in under an hour but tastes like you've been cooking all day.
  • The creamy texture from blended beans means no heavy cream needed, though you can add it if you want to feel extra.
  • Parmesan does the heavy lifting on flavor, so your ingredient list stays short and your pantry stays happy.
02 -
  • Drain and rinse your canned beans—the liquid they come in is starchy and will make your soup gluey instead of silky.
  • If your soup feels too thick after blending, don't panic, just add stock a splash at a time until it reaches the consistency you want.
03 -
  • Grate your Parmesan fresh from the block—it melts silkier and tastes brighter than pre-grated every single time.
  • If you want a vegan version, skip the cream and Parmesan, but add an extra tablespoon of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon to keep things from feeling thin.
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