White Bean Parmesan Soup (Printable Version)

Smooth and comforting blend of white beans with savory Parmesan, aromatic vegetables, and herbs.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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
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

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 6–8 minutes until vegetables are softened.
02 - Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add the drained beans, vegetable stock, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes.
05 - Remove the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth and creamy, or transfer in batches to a blender.
06 - Stir in the Parmesan cheese and heavy cream. Heat gently until cheese is melted and soup is heated through. Adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top with extra Parmesan and chopped parsley. Serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour but tastes like you've been stirring a pot all afternoon.
  • The soup is naturally creamy without being heavy, thanks to blended beans that do all the work.
  • One bowl makes you feel genuinely cared for, which is the whole point of cooking something this simple.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans—that starchy liquid will make your soup cloudy instead of silky.
  • An immersion blender makes this so much easier than transferring hot liquid to a regular blender, and the texture comes out better too.
03 -
  • If you cook with dried beans instead of canned, they'll give you even more control over the final texture and flavor.
  • Fresh thyme leaves stirred in at the end add a brightness that dried thyme simply can't match.
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