White Bean and Parmesan Soup (Printable)

Creamy white bean soup with aromatic vegetables and rich Parmesan cheese for comforting Italian-inspired flavor.

# What You 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 and Liquid

06 - 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
07 - 4 cups vegetable stock
08 - 1 bay leaf

→ Dairy and 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 for serving

# 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 cannellini beans, vegetable stock, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes to develop flavors.
05 - Remove bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to purée soup until smooth and creamy, working in batches if using a countertop blender.
06 - Stir in grated Parmesan cheese and heavy cream. Heat gently until cheese melts completely and soup reaches serving temperature. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The soup tastes like it took hours, but you'll have it on the table in under an hour with minimal fuss.
  • Parmesan does something almost magical here, turning simple beans and broth into something that feels both elegant and deeply familiar.
  • It's the kind of dish that actually improves if you make extra, so you're really just gifting yourself future meals.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing your canned beans—the liquid they're packed in can make your soup taste tinny and metallic if you leave it in.
  • Freshly grated Parmesan makes an enormous difference; pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly into the soup.
  • If your soup seems too thick after blending, you can thin it with a splash of stock or even hot water rather than adding more cream, which keeps it from becoming too heavy.
03 -
  • Always blend your soup while it's still hot—cold soup resists blending and can result in a grainy texture instead of smooth creaminess.
  • Resist the urge to add cream right at the beginning; adding it at the very end preserves the bright, clean flavor that makes this soup feel like more than just comfort food.
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