This creamy Tuscan cannellini bean soup is rich with sundried tomatoes, fresh rosemary and plenty of Parmesan - a proper bowl of comfort that comes together in one pot in just 30 minutes.
If you love these flavors, try my Creamy Tuscan Chickpea Soup and Tuscan White Bean Pasta next!
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email and I'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Can a bean soup be elegant? Why, certainly.
It borrows everything I love about my Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta - the sun-dried tomatoes, the garlic and the Parmesan-laced cream to make this comforting and quite stylish, if I may say so.
And there's zero blending involved, too. So many creamy bean soups ask you to haul out the blender, but in my version, the cream makes it smooth while the beans stay whole and buttery.
It's vegetarian, it's ridiculously good with a hunk of crusty bread, and it works just as well for a quick weeknight dinner as it does for a slow Sunday lunch.
Why you'll love this creamy cannellini bean soup
- It's creamy and rich, and you don't even have to use the blender for that!
- Super quick to make in just a bit over half an hour with pantry staples.
- Vegetarian yet seriously satisfying!
What you'll need
- Olive oil - for sautéing the aromatics; a spoonful of the oil from the sundried tomato jar works beautifully too.
- Onion - finely chopped so it melts into the broth.
- Garlic - fresh cloves, finely chopped.
- Fresh rosemary - the Tuscan backbone of this soup. Fresh makes a real difference here, so I wouldn't swap it for dried unless I had to.
- Sundried tomatoes - the oil-packed kind, sliced. They bring a sweet, intense tomato depth you can't get any other way.
- Tomato paste - concentrated flavor that gets fried off with the sundried tomatoes.
- Passata - smooth tomato sauce that gives the broth its rosy color.
- Cannellini beans - canned, drained but not rinsed! Their creamy texture is exactly what this soup is built around.
- Vegetable stock - a good one matters, since it becomes the broth. Use low sodium if you like to control the salt yourself.
- Heavy cream - double cream if you're in the UK. This is where the silkiness comes from.
- Parmesan - freshly grated so it melts smoothly. Traditional Parmigiano is made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese if you want to keep the soup strictly vegetarian.
Pro tip
Don't rinse the canned beans! The starchy water from the can will make the soup even creamier.
AdLooking for the best online services?
Explore top-rated platforms and secure your discount before it expires.
How to make creamy cannellini bean soup
This is a quick overview with step-by-step photos. The full recipe with detailed steps is in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and sauté the onion for 4-5 minutes until softened.
Stir in the garlic, rosemary, red chili flakes, salt and pepper, then add the sundried tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until the paste darkens slightly.
Pour in the passata, then add the cannellini beans and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Simmer gently for a minute, then stir in the grated Parmesan and fresh parsley.
Substitutions and variations
- Butter beans or Great Northern beans work well in place of cannellini.
- To make the soup dairy-free, swap the cream for full-fat coconut milk and skip the Parmesan or use nutritional yeast. Or make my Vegan Cannellini Bean Stew, which is built dairy-free from the start.
- Add some meat if you like. Crispy pancetta or browned Italian sausage both work if you want it heartier.
- Add some greens, too. A couple of handfuls of baby spinach or shredded kale stirred in for the last few minutes of simmering make this bowl even better.
Recipe tips and notes
- Keep the heat low once the cream goes in. A hard boil can split the cream and make the soup grainy.
- If you want to make the soup thicker, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot before the cream goes in.
- Leftovers make a brilliant lunch, and the soup tastes even better the next day once the flavors have had time to settle.
- This is my quick, creamy spin on Tuscan white bean soup - if you're after the traditional bread-thickened version, my Tuscan White Bean and Kale Soup (Ribollita) is the real deal.
What to serve with cannellini bean soup
- Crusty bread is non-negotiable for me - a thick slice of sourdough or ciabatta for dragging through the creamy broth.
- Focaccia is wonderful too, and garlic bruschetta makes it feel like a trattoria dinner.
- If you want something lighter on the side, a simple rocket salad with lemon and olive oil is just perfect.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, or in the microwave in 30-second bursts. Avoid boiling so the cream stays smooth.
- You can freeze this soup for up to 2 months, though cream-based soups can separate slightly when thawed; a good stir while reheating usually brings it back.
- For best results, freeze before adding the cream and Parmesan, then stir them in fresh when you reheat.
If you've tried this creamy Tuscan cannellini bean soup recipe, please rate it and leave a comment below! I'd love to hear how it turned out.
And for more yummy recipe ideas, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Creamy Tuscan Cannellini Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup (55 g) sundried tomatoes, sliced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup (125 g) tomato sauce, passata
- 2 can (14 oz / 400 g) cannellini beans, drained but not rinsed
- 4 cups (1000 ml) vegetable stock
- ½ cup (125 ml) heavy cream, double cream
- ⅓ cup (30 g) Parmesan, grated
- A handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes until softened and translucent.2 tablespoons olive oil1 medium onion
- Stir in the garlic, rosemary, red chili flakes, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.2 large garlic cloves1 tablespoon fresh rosemary½ teaspoon red chili flakes½ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Add the sundried tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until the paste darkens slightly.½ cup sundried tomatoes2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Pour in the passata, then add the cannellini beans and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Simmer gently for a minute, then stir in the grated Parmesan and fresh parsley.½ cup heavy cream⅓ cup ParmesanA handful fresh parsley
- Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve hot with your favorite crusty bread.
Video
Notes
- Mash some of the beans against the side of the pot before adding the cream if you prefer a thicker soup.
- Use a vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese instead of Parmesan to keep the soup strictly vegetarian.
Nutrition
Nutrition is per serving and is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
Paula Williams says
Can you use plant based milk? In this? Will will it work without the parmesan cheese
Alice says
Yes, it would work great with plant-based milk and I don't think it would change much if you skip the Parmesan. I hope you enjoy it!