Easy cannellini bean soup with garlic and rosemary

Amazing white bean soup made with just a couple of ingredients, with the main ingredients being just the beans and potatoes. Fresh rosemary and lots of garlic transform these humble ingredients into a very flavorful soup. You can eat it just as it is – with lots of potato chunks and beans or puree a part of the soup to get a creamy bean soup. Either way – it’s really delicious, quick and easy.

Ingredients:

• Beans – I used cannellini beans because I like that they are really small and have a delicate nutty taste and creamy texture. You can use any other canned white beans that you have on hand (like great northern beans or navy beans). Here you can read more on all types of beans.
  You can also use dried beans and cook them yourself, instead of using canned beans. You can follow the instructions on this site.
  I’m using the whole can of beans – the beans and the liquid. Some recipes tell you to discard the liquid or even to rinse the beans which I never do. This liquid naturally thickens the soup, adds body and an additional flavor.
• Potatoes – If you want a creamy soup use floury potatoes (like russets or idaho potatoes) – they have a lot of starch and don’t hold their shape very well. If you want firm potato chunks in your soup use waxy potatoes (like yukon golds, red potatoes or new potatoes). Here you can read more about different types of potatoes.
• Garlic – don’t be put off by a large amount of garlic, the soup is really not overly garlicky. The garlic is chopped with a knife here, and as opposed to the garlic pressed through a garlic press, it’s flavor is not so sharp. When garlic is minced with a knife – its cells are cut through and a substance responsible for its sharp smell is released. When garlic is microplaned (grated on a Microplane) or pressed through a garlic press – more cells are damaged and more sharp-smelling substance is released. You can read more about it here.
• Rosemary – you need to use fresh rosemary. Dried rosemary is less flavorful. You need a really bold flavor to cut through the creaminess of beans and potatoes. Rosemary’s flavor is really perfect for this soup and I can’t imagine any other herb that the rosemary could be substituted with.
• Onions – add an additional layer of flavor. Use regular white or yellow onions.
• Broth – I used vegetable broth and I think its mild flavor is just enough for this soup but you can easily use chicken broth. If you use vegetable broth this soup will be naturally vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

What you could also add to the soup:

This soup is really delicious and flavorful with just these couple ingredients, but you could easily add:

• lemon zest and juice
• kale or spinach
• pork ham, sausage or bacon (you can sprinkle the soup with fried bacon)
• vegetables like carrots, celery, and zucchini
• an Italian twist – use olive oil and sprinkle the soup with parmesan cheese

White bean soup step by step:

These are complete instructions on how to cook the soup (notes about the ingredients are above). Scroll down for a printable recipe card with the ingredients list.

STEP 1: Prepare the ingredients: dice 1 medium onion, finely chop 7 small cloves garlic, chop very finely needles from 2 twigs rosemary very (leave the 3rd twig whole). Peel 4 medium (about 1 lb / 500g) potatoes and cut into 1/2 inch / 1.5 cm cubes.

STEP 2: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot, add the chopped onion and rosemary, cook over low heat for 9 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent, but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for a minute fragrant (be careful not to burn it). Transfer everything to a plate and set aside.

STEP 3: Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pot and add the potatoes. Cook on high heat for about 2 minutes without stirring (letting the potatoes to brown), then cook for 2 more minutes, stirring from time to time, until the potatoes are lightly browned on all sides.

STEP 4: Add the onion with garlic and rosemary back to the pan, add 4 cups (1 liter) broth. 

STEP 5: Season the soup lightly with salt, add the third whole rosemary sprig. Bring to a boil, partially cover with a lid, then cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

STEP 6: Add 1 (14oz/400g) can beans together with all the liquid from the can, cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the pot from heat, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Now, you can leave the soup as it or take 2 cups of soup and puree it with a food processor or a blender, then add it back to the pot – this way the soup will be naturally creamy and more thick (partially pureed soup is on the first photo at the top of the post and below there’s a photo of unmixed soup).

ENJOY!

Storing and freezing tips:

This soup reheats and freezes perfectly.
How to store it: Store the soup in a tightly closed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How to freeze it: Cool the soup to the room temperature and transfer into a plastic/glass container or thick plastic bag (soup stored this way will take the least space in the freezer) or in a jar. Freeze for up to 6 months.

Why this soup is amazing:

• it’s super simple and quick to make
• you only need 7 ingredients to make it!
• blending part of the soup makes it super creamy without adding any cream
• lots of garlic and fresh rosemary provide bold flavors to simple-tasting ingredients like beans and potatoes
• it’s very budget-friendly!

Other soups you may like:

• Pistou Soup – French vegetable soup (Soupe au Pistou) (also uses cannellini beans)
• Tomato tortellini soup
• Creamy zucchini soup with mint and peas

Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!