Italian White Bean Spinach Soup
This Italian Spinach Soup is cozy, hearty, and full of flavor, with tender white beans, fresh spinach, vegetables, and Parmesan in a savory Italian-style broth. It’s an easy one-pot dinner that tastes restaurant-worthy while being simple enough for a busy weeknight. Serve it with crusty bread for a warm and satisfying meal the whole family will love.
Why You’ll Love This Italian White Bean Spinach Soup
- Creamy without any cream: mashing some of the beans naturally thickens the broth for a rich, satisfying texture.
- Deep flavor from simple ingredients: a Parmesan rind and a well-cooked vegetable base do a lot of heavy lifting.
- Ready in about 40 minutes: a comforting, from-scratch soup that doesn’t take all day.
- Naturally adaptable: easily made vegetarian with vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.
Ingredients You’ll Need
How to Make Italian White Bean Spinach Soup
- Sauté the vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened.
- Add the aromatics: Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute.
- Simmer: Add the broth, white beans, Parmesan rind, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 15–20 minutes.
- Mash some beans: Mash about ½ cup of the beans with a little broth and stir back into the soup.
- Add the spinach: Stir in the spinach and cook until just wilted.
- Finish: Remove the Parmesan rind. Stir in the Parmesan, lemon juice, and parsley.
Recipe Tip
Scooping out a portion of the cooked beans, mashing them, and stirring them back into the pot is the trick that gives this soup its rich, creamy body without any actual cream. The starch in the mashed beans blends into the broth, thickening it naturally while keeping the dish light.
Recipe Variations
- Sausage White Bean Soup-Brown ½ pound of Italian sausage with the vegetables for a heartier, meatier version.
- Vegetarian White Bean Spinach Soup-Use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth and skip the Parmesan rind, or use a vegetarian hard cheese alternative.
- Kale White Bean Soup-Swap the spinach for chopped, stemmed kale for a heartier, slightly more textured green.
- Extra Creamy White Bean Soup-Mash a full cup of beans instead of just half a cup for an even thicker, creamier broth.
Serving Suggestions
- With Crusty Bread-Perfect for dipping into the thick, savory broth.
- Topped with Extra Parmesan-A generous sprinkle on top adds even more savory flavor to each bowl.
- Alongside a Simple Salad-A lightly dressed green salad rounds out the meal nicely.
- With a Drizzle of Good Olive Oil-A finishing drizzle of good-quality olive oil adds richness right before serving.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The soup will thicken as it sits, so add a splash of broth when reheating.
- Freezer: Freeze in individual portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, or in the microwave, stirring occasionally and adding liquid as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it’s optional, though it adds a nice savory depth to the broth. If you don’t have one on hand, the soup will still taste great, especially with the grated Parmesan stirred in at the end.
Yes, cannellini and Great Northern beans are both recommended here for their creamy texture, but other white beans like navy beans will also work well in this recipe.
If the broth seems thinner than you’d like, mash a little more of the beans and stir them back in, or let the soup simmer uncovered a bit longer to reduce and concentrate before adding the spinach.
Yes, this soup tastes great the next day once the flavors have had time to meld. Just add a bit of extra broth when reheating, since the beans will continue to thicken the soup as it sits.
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- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 medium carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 celery ribs, diced (about ¾ cup)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken, or vegetable broth
- 2 15-ounce cans white beans, such as cannellini or Great Northern, drained and rinsed
- 1 Parmesan rind, optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6-8 ounces fresh baby spinach
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, or basil
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Sauté the vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 6–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
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Add the aromatics: Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently, until fragrant and the tomato paste darkens slightly.
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Simmer: Add the broth, white beans, Parmesan rind, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes.
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Make the broth creamy: Scoop out about ½ cup of the beans along with a little broth. Mash well with a fork, then stir back into the soup. This naturally gives the broth more body without adding cream.
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Add the spinach: Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1–2 minutes, just until wilted.
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Finish: Remove and discard the Parmesan rind. Remove the soup from the heat or reduce the heat to very low. Stir in the grated Parmesan, lemon juice, and parsley.
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Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed. Ladle into bowls and finish with extra Parmesan, freshly cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Don’t overcook the spinach: Add it during the last couple of minutes so it stays vibrant and fresh.
Parmesan rind: It’s optional, but we highly recommend it. It adds wonderful savory depth to the broth as it simmers.
For a thicker soup: Mash a little more of the beans. For a brothier soup, leave all the beans whole.
Salt at the end: Broth, canned beans, Parmesan, and the Parmesan rind can all add salt, so taste before adding more.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavor is actually even better the next day.
Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 549mg | Potassium: 779mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 9469IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 244mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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