White Bean Parmesan Soup (Printable)

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

# Ingredient list:

→ 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

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until vegetables are softened and 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 to a simmer over medium heat.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
05 - Remove the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth and creamy, or transfer in batches to a blender and blend until desired consistency is reached.
06 - Stir in freshly grated Parmesan cheese and heavy cream. Heat gently until cheese is fully melted and soup is heated through. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top with additional Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour but tastes like it simmered all day.
  • The Parmesan melts into the soup so you get this silky, luxurious texture without cream if you don't want it.
  • You probably have these ingredients already, making it the kind of dinner you can improvise when plans fall through.
02 -
  • The bay leaf needs to come out before blending or you'll chase a piece around trying to fish it out of your blender later, which I learned the hard way.
  • Don't blend it while it's too hot or you'll burn yourself on the steam, which is why I now wait a minute or two and let it cool just slightly.
  • If your immersion blender overheats, it will shut off, so go slow and let it do the work rather than plunging it aggressively through the pot.
03 -
  • If your soup breaks or gets grainy after adding Parmesan, it usually means the heat was too high; lower it and stir gently for a minute and it usually comes back together.
  • Keeping your Parmesan at room temperature before grating and adding it helps it melt smoothly rather than clumping up in the hot soup.
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