Tuscan White Bean Soup (Print View)

Hearty blend of cannellini beans, kale, and lemon zest in a rustic Italian soup.

# Components:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 bunch kale, tough stems removed, leaves chopped (approximately 4 cups packed)
07 - Zest of 1 lemon

→ Beans & Broth

08 - 2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
09 - 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
10 - 1 cup water

→ Herbs & Seasonings

11 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
13 - 1 bay leaf
14 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Finishing

16 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
17 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
18 - Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

# Method:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté until softened, approximately 6-8 minutes.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in chopped kale and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly wilted.
04 - Add cannellini beans, vegetable broth, water, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper.
05 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
06 - Remove approximately 1 cup of soup and beans. Mash with a fork or blend, then return to the pot.
07 - Stir in lemon zest and lemon juice. Simmer for 2 additional minutes.
08 - Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like someone who knows what they're doing made it for you, even though it's genuinely one of the easiest soups to pull off.
  • The texture is secretly luxurious—creamy from the mashed beans but never heavy, with kale that's tender enough to disappear on your tongue.
  • You can have dinner on the table in under an hour, which means weeknight cooking that doesn't feel like a compromise.
  • It gets better the next day, so making extra is always a smart move.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans—that starchy liquid makes the soup look cloudy and tastes vaguely metallic, which you won't notice until someone else points it out.
  • The mashing step is what separates this from tasting like straight broth—those broken-down beans release their starches and create a gentle creaminess that feels indulgent without any actual cream.
  • Fresh lemon juice at the end is non-negotiable—it wakes up every flavor in the bowl and makes the soup taste like it has something to say.
03 -
  • If your soup tastes a little flat after simmering, that's usually a sign it needs more salt or more lemon, not more of everything—often it's just one thing that's missing.
  • Keep the bay leaf visible so you remember to fish it out—I learned this by being the person who had to apologize for serving someone a bay leaf.
  • Let the soup cool slightly before serving so the flavors settle and the heat doesn't burn your mouth before you can actually taste what you're eating.
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