Tuscan White Bean Soup

Tuscan white bean soup is a comforting soup that’s loaded with flavor from roasted garlic, pancetta, veggies, and herbs.  This soup is great as a precursor to a larger meal but is bold enough to shine by itself, or alongside a salad or sandwich. 

Tuscan white bean soup may be one of the easiest soups you can make.  

We love it because it is nourishing, filling, and completely budget-friendly. 

It’s also customizable so if you want to make it vegetarian, or vegan you can do that by omitting the chicken stock, pancetta, and Parmigiano Reggiano rind.  It will still have incredible flavor thanks to the roasted garlic!

Roasted garlic tuscan white bean soup is great with a side of garlic bread and a green salad with Italian vinaigrette but also pairs well with sandwiches, like our hot roast beef sandwich with onion jam.

How to make it

First, roast the garlic

1. Preheat your oven to 400f and slice off the top 1/4 inch of a head of garlic to expose the top of the cloves.  Place the cut side up on a sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt.  Wrap the garlic in the foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 40 minutes.

2. Remove the garlic from the oven and allow it to cool.  Once cool, gently squeeze the bottom of the garlic head to release the cloves.   Note: The roasted garlic can be made up to 1 week ahead to speed up the process.

Next, make the soup

1. Dice 4 ounces of pancetta, 1 large onion, 4 celery ribs, and 3 medium carrots.

2. In a large pot, saute the pancetta in a 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil over medium-low heat until most of the fat has rendered (about 10 minutes).  
3. Next, add the celery, onion, and carrots and continue to cook for 10 more minutes or until the veggies have softened. 

4. Add a 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes and cook for an additional 30 seconds, then add the roasted garlic cloves.
5. Add 6 cups of low-sodium chicken stock, 1 Parmigiano Reggiano rind (optional), 1 large bay leaf, 3 sprigs of rosemary, and 1 pound of cannellini beans.  Note: If using dried cannellini beans, use 1 pound and soak them overnight in a pot of water prior to using in the soup.  If using canned, use 3 16-ounce cans that have been drained of their liquid. Bring the ingredients to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.

6. Using the back of a wooden spoon, mash the beans against the side of the pot to help thicken the soup.  As an alternative, you can use an immersion blender or regular blender to further thicken.  If using either type of blender, remove the rosemary, bay leaf, and Parmigiano rinds prior to blending.  Taste test the soup and adjust salt and pepper levels to taste.  If you’ve not already done so, remove the rind, rosemary, and bay leaf prior to serving in bowls with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and crusty bread.  Enjoy!

Top tips for Tuscan white bean soup with roasted garlic

• Roasted garlic. This simple addition is easy to make and amplifies the flavor of this soup.  The roasted garlic can be made in advance and saved for up to 1 week. 
• The beans.  We used a bag of dried cannellini beans for this Tuscan white bean soup.  If you’re doing the same, be sure to soak the beans overnight or they will not be tender enough for the soup.  As an alternative, you can use canned cannellini beans that have been drained of their liquid, but not rinsed.  
• Consistency of the soup. Some people prefer a looser white bean soup, while others like it on the thicker side.  Customize this to your preference when mashing or blending the beans.  Blending the beans will yield a thicker, creamier soup.  If you wind up with a soup that’s too thick, simply add a touch of water or chicken stock to loosen it back up.
• Parmigiano Reggiano rinds. We always recommend saving your Parmigiano rinds for use in soups, like pasta e fagioli, or sauces.  Some Italian grocery stores will sell just the rinds in their cheese section. If you don’t see any, ask the cheesemonger and they’ll likely have some for you. This is optional, so if you prefer to skip the cheese you can definitely do so and the soup will still taste great.

Our favorite soups

We love soup, especially in the cooler months.  Here are a few of our absolute favorites that we know you’ll love. 

• Italian lentil soup – lentils, spinach, carrots, celery, and onion with a touch of tomato.
• Chicken wild rice soup – chunks of chicken, carrots, and celery simmered in a creamy broth with wild rice.
• Escarole and bean soup – potatoes, escarole, and cannellini beans.
• Broccoli cheddar soup – creamy blend of broccoli, carrots, onion, and cheddar topped with burnt broccoli.
• Lemon chicken orzo soup – carrots, celery, onion, and garlic with chicken meat, orzo, and lemon juice.
• Baked potato soup – creamy blend of potatoes, sour cream, and cheddar topped with chives and crumbled bacon.

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