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On winter evenings when I want a comforting soup but don’t have hours to simmer one, I turn to this Creamy White Bean Soup. It transforms humble pantry ingredients into a luxurious meal that comes together in just 25 minutes. I love how a few simple techniques, like pureeing half the beans and simmering whole garlic cloves in the broth, create such a velvety, flavorful result.
The secret to this soup’s appeal lies in its contrasts – creamy pureed beans against tender whole ones, the earthy depth of sage brightened by drizzles of olive oil, and soft garlic mellowed by gentle simmering. Whether you start with canned cannellini beans or home-cooked dried ones, each spoonful delivers that perfect balance of subtle flavors and silky texture, enriched with just a touch of cream.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Creamy White Bean Soup
- Cannellini Beans: Or Great Northern beans or navy beans – use canned for a quick soup or home-cooked for even better flavor and texture.
- Butter and Olive Oil: You’ll need both. Save some olive oil for drizzling at the end.
- Shallots: Look for firm, plump ones with tight skin.
- Chicken Broth: Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian version.
- Garlic: You’ll need 6 large cloves. It sounds like a lot, but I promise it’s just right.
- Heavy Cream: Just enough to make this soup taste luxurious. Half and half is also an option.
- Black Pepper: Freshly ground, to taste.
- Fresh Chives: For garnish. A few small, fresh sage leaves are also a nice touch if you have them.
Recipe Options
- Switch up the aromatics: Replace shallots with one medium yellow onion, finely chopped.
- Try rosemary: Fresh rosemary makes a lovely alternative to sage – use one small sprig while simmering.
- Add brightness: Stir in a splash of fresh lemon juice just before serving.
- Spice it up: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic for gentle heat.
- Rich finish: Top each bowl with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, letting it melt slightly into the hot soup.
- Extra garnishes: A drizzle of your best olive oil and a few cracks of black pepper complement any of these variations.
5 Recipe Tips
- About the puree: Use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup, leaving some beans whole for texture. If using a standard blender, work in batches and remember hot liquids expand.
- Garlic technique: Keep the cloves whole – they’ll soften as they simmer and won’t overpower the soup.
- Make it ahead: The soup thickens as it cools. When reheating, thin with a bit of broth or water to reach your desired consistency.
- Freezer friendly: Freeze portions without the cream. Add it fresh when reheating.
- Bean shortcuts: No time to cook dried beans? Two 15-ounce cans, drained, give you just the right amount for this recipe.
How to Cook Dry Beans in a Slow Cooker
I wonder who started the myth that soaking beans with salt would make them tough? It doesn’t. Soaking beans in salted water before cooking actually tenderizes the skin and infuses the whole bean with flavor. Starting with dry beans that you’ve cooked is not only economical, but will make your Creamy White Bean soup far better than starting with beans from a can.
Thank goodness that Keith checked out Slow Cooker Revolution by America’s Test Kitchen from our local library, or I might still believe the myth. The ratio is simple – 3 tablespoons of salt dissolved into 4 quarts of water and 1 pound of dry beans. Soak the beans in the salty water overnight and rinse the next morning. Transfer the beans to the bowl of a slow cooker and add enough water to cover them by about an inch; cook on low until tender.
Alternatively, you can cook them in an oven-safe pot with a tightly fitting lid in a slow oven (300°F). The cooking time varies widely depending on the age of your beans – anywhere from 3 hours to 6 or more. Start testing them at the 3-hour mark. One pound of dried beans will yield about 6½ cups cooked beans. And here’s a helpful tip: cooked beans freeze beautifully.
This soup has challenged what I thought I knew about cooking beans – from salting them before cooking to simmering whole garlic cloves in the broth. Even on nights when I use canned beans instead of cooking my own, these techniques transform the soup into something I’m always glad to have simmering on my stove.
More Hearty Winter Soups
How to Make Creamy White Bean Soup
Step 1: In a medium Dutch oven or soup pot, sauté shallot in butter and olive oil over medium heat until softened. Add sage, beans, and chicken broth; stir and bring to boil; reduce heat to simmer. Add garlic and cook 10 minutes more.
Step 2: Puree half of the soup in batches in a standard blender (with hot liquid, always cover blender with a towel instead of a lid) or with an immersion blender right in the pot. Return soup to pot and stir in cream, salt and pepper to taste. Cook and stir until heated through, but not boiling. Ladle into bowls and serve garnished with chives and a drizzle of olive oil.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large shallots finely chopped
- 3 large fresh sage leaves or more if small
- 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans drained, or 3 cups home cooked (recipe note #1)
- 4 cups chicken broth (recipe note #2)
- 6 large garlic cloves smashed and peeled
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- kosher salt to taste
- extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
- minced fresh chives for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add butter, olive oil, and minced shallot; cook and stir until shallots are softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add sage leaves and beans; stir to combine. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
- Add garlic and simmer until garlic is soft, about 10 minutes more.
- Use a handheld immersion blender if you have one, to puree about half of the soup, leaving a few beans in tact. Be sure to puree the sage leaves; they’re pretty potent if you end up with a whole leaf in your mouth.) If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a standard blender, pureeing the soup in batches. Because the soup is hot, use a towel to cover the blender instead of the lid. Hot liquids in a lidded blender expand and will splatter out and could burn you.
- Once you’ve pureed your desired amount of soup and poured it back in the soup pot, add the heavy cream, pepper, and salt to taste. Heat until warm enough to serve, but not boiling.
- Serve with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle of chives.
Notes
- Great northern beans work well here too.
- Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian version of this soup.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
