White Bean Parmesan Soup (Printable)

Smooth, creamy white bean soup with aromatic vegetables and rich Parmesan. Ready in under an hour for a comforting meal.

# What You’ll 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 & 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:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 6-8 minutes until vegetables are softened.
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 to a simmer.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
05 - Remove bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, transfer in batches to a countertop blender.
06 - Stir in grated Parmesan cheese and heavy cream. Heat gently until cheese melts and soup reaches desired temperature. Adjust seasoning to taste.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top with additional Parmesan and fresh parsley. Serve hot.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • This soup develops a silky texture without fussing with complicated techniques, I promise itll make you feel like an accomplished chef with minimal effort.
  • The subtle transformation that happens when good Parmesan melts into the pureed beans creates a depth that belies how quickly this comes together.
02 -
  • Never boil the soup after adding the Parmesan or it may separate and give the soup a grainy texture instead of that perfect silkiness.
  • The immersion blender creates a slightly different texture than a countertop blender, I discovered the countertop version makes an almost ethereally smooth soup while immersion blending leaves pleasant little bits of vegetable.
03 -
  • Reserve a small portion of the beans before blending and fold them back in at the end for wonderful textural contrast that makes the soup feel more substantial.
  • A Parmesan rind tossed into the pot during simmering infuses the soup with incredible depth that cant be achieved any other way, just remember to fish it out before blending.
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