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!

A soup pot with White Bean Soup with a ladle.

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.

Bacon in a pot and on a plate before and after being cooked.

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.

Onions, carrots, and celery in a pot next to a pot of white beans with broth being added.

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!

Adding kale to a pot of White Bean Soup.

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!

A white soup bowl filled with White Bean Soup with a spoon in it.

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
  • 16 oz. storage containers I use these to store/freeze my soups. They have 8 oz. sizes as well. They’re stackable, leak proof, and dishwasher/microwave safe.

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A Dutch oven filled with white bean soup with a ladle in it.

White Bean Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
5 from 24 ratings
Servings: 5 people
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This White Bean Soup is a healthy meal idea that's easy to make with kale or spinach, bacon, savory broth, and white beans! Bonus: It's freezer friendly!

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 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 EACH: dried oregano, rosemary, 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

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!
Nutrition information is an estimate and is per serving. This recipe makes approximately 5 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 464kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 1275mg, Potassium: 1302mg, Fiber: 13g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 5332IU, Vitamin C: 22mg, Calcium: 331mg, Iron: 8mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American, Mediterranean
Author: Stephanie