This is a rustic white bean soup, made smoky from dried chipotle peppers that are added to the soup while it simmers. Kale is added at the end, but baby spinach works just as well if kale isn't your thing.
This hearty Tuscan white bean soup needs only some crusty bread on the side to make this a meal.
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Soups that are a meal are a perfect easy dinner. This dinner can be made ahead, and just warmed up in time for dinner. It's loaded with veggies that cook in a smoky broth that is best when it simmers for 30 minutes.
If you want a homemade vegetable soup that has a rich broth that isn't smoky, this is a great one.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- This recipe required little meal prep, especially if you use canned beans.
- This is a great recipe to make ahead and eat through the week. The flavors only get better overnight.
- It's a hearty soup that's a complete meal with only a side of crusty bread.
- This soup is very flexible. Check out all the variation ideas I have in the Variations section.
🧅 Main Ingredients, Substitutions, Tips
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. Shortcut store-bought options and ingredients you can make ahead and save in the refrigerator can turn a dish that takes 60 (or more) minutes to make into a 30-minute meal or less.
For all of the ingredients, measurements, and directions for this Tuscan bean soup, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Yellow onion - for this recipe, I do not recommend substituting white onions or red onions.
- Celery - I like to use both the stalk and leaves
- Garlic - either fresh garlic or garlic paste from Gourmet Garden.
- Dried herbs - I used rosemary and thyme, but oregano can work if that's what you have. Or use a dried Italian seasoning mix that you like. If you prefer using fresh herbs, just multiply the amount in the recipe by 4 since the flavors are much more concentrated when dried.
- Dried chipotle peppers - These are optional for adding a slightly smoky flavor to the soup. They add a minimal amount of heat.
- White wine - dry white wine is best, such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chardonnay.
- White beans - Any white bean is great in this soup. For example, cannellini beans (white kidney beans), great northern beans, navy beans, or flageolet beans.
- Vegetable broth - I use Better Than Bouillon - Roasted Vegetable Paste if I don't have homemade roasted vegetable broth on hand.
- Diced tomatoes - I use canned fire roasted diced tomatoes if they're available at my grocery store.
- Kale - I use dinosaur kale (also called lacinato kale and cavolo nero) but curly kale works fine if that's your preference. If kale isn't your thing, substitute Swiss chard or baby spinach.
- Parmesan cheese - Either dairy-based or vegan Parmesan cheese is perfect to finish the soup, but grated Swiss cheese works well too. If you use dairy-based, add a knob of Parmesan rind to soup as it simmers.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
🔪 Recommended Equipment
- Chef's knife
- Dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot
📝 Instructions Overview
Detailed instructions for making this Tuscan White Bean Soup recipe are in the recipe card below, but here's a quick overview!
Step 1
Make the flavor base. Sauté the onion and celery in olive oil until softened. Add the herbs, dried chipotle peppers, and wine. Simmer until the wine is absorbed.
Step 2
Make the soup. Add everything else other than the kale. Simmer for 50 minutes to infuse fabulous flavor in the soup.
Step 3
Finish the soup. Add the kale and simmer until tender. Serve warm with grated Parmesan cheese.
🥬 Make it Vegan
Eliminate the Parmesan cheese or use a plant based Parmesan - style cheese.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
- If you have some balsamic tomatoes on hand, chop several up and add them to the soup instead of the diced tomatoes. Or make your own fire roasted tomatoes.
- If you have leftover roasted cabbage steaks, chop them up and add them to the soup at the end instead of the kale.
- For a little more heat to your soup, add a couple of pinches of red pepper flakes while the soup simmers.
- To make this recipe a creamy white bean soup, use an immersion blender before adding the chopped kale leaves. Creamy white beans such as cannellini beans, great northern beans, navy beans, and flageoulet beans make any soup creamy when blended into a soup base.
- Add 2 Bay leaves while the soup simmers for an infusion of Bay flavor.
- If you miss Italian Sausage in a soup like this and want a vegetarian option, I recommend adding Soyrizo, a soy-based chorizo sausage. To use this option, heat a little oil in a skillet and squeeze the Soyrizo into the skillet. Sauté it for a few minutes until crumbly and add to the soup.
🫙Storage Tips
This delicious recipe, like many soups, is even better the next day. Here are some storage tips.
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freeze in a freezer-safe container for 2 - 3 months.
📇 Similar Bean Recipes You Might Like
If you love this soup, I know you'll love this award-winning vegetable soup with beans. It won first place in a national soup contest run by Whole Foods. And this cauliflower and white bean soup is one of my all time favorites.
Or make this cheesy white bean tomato bake! It has some of the same ingredients and comes together in about 30 minutes for a perfect weeknight dinner.
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Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup with Tomatoes
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions diced
- 6 stalks celery sliced horizontally
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 dried chipotle peppers optional
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed or 3 ½ cups freshly cooked beans
- 4 cups vegetable broth or 4 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Roasted Vegetable Paste with 4 cups of water
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- Parmesan cheese rind (if using dairy-based cheese)
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt or 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups coarsely chopped Dinosaur kale or baby spinach
- 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese either dairy-based or vegan
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in the soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and celery and sauté until just tender (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic, dried rosemary, and thyme and continue to sauté for an additional two minutes until aromatic.
- Add the dried chipotle peppers and wine and simmer for 8 - 10 minutes until most if not all of the liquid has been absorbed or cooked off.
- Add the beans, broth, and diced tomatoes, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer, and simmer for 50 minutes. This long simmer concentrates the flavors beautifully.Note: If you use Better Than Bouillon, add 1 teaspoon for each cup of water you add to the soup. For this recipe, this means adding 4 teaspoons of Bouillon paste.
- Season with salt and pepper and add the kale. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.Note: If you use Better Than Bouillon for the vegetable broth, no additional salt should be needed.
- Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
Jen @JuanitasCocina
Bacon AND kale? I'll take the whole pot please!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Jen!! Sadly, for both of us, it's all gone now 🙂
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers
Your soup is beautiful and the crackers you have with it look delish!!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Jennifer!
Liz
What an important message! As our parents are aging and facing physical challenges, I'm focusing on how blessed I've been to have such caring family in my life. PS...your soup photos are as stunning as this dish must be tasty.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Liz.
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen
That first pic is enough to draw me in, but your whole post is so wonderful and meaningul Susan! So many things become obvious as we age, but really it´s impossible to understand them when we´re younger.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
It was certainly impossible for me to see it when I was younger. Hopefully the next generations will catch on to the importance of investing in relationships sooner than I did 🙂
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips
What beautiful sentiments, and what a beautiful soup.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Brianne!
Bea
Such a beautiful post!!!
This soup sounds fantastic - anything with Kale is a winner by my book! Lacitnato is my favorite type of Kale 🙂
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I love lacinato kale too. I actually grew a whole bunch of it last year since we have perfect weather for it 🙂
Dorothy at ShockinglyDelicious
Emotional generosity...love the phrase and the concept.
Also love your soup, which I am motivated to go put on the stove RIGHT NOW!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Dorothy! Emotional generosity is something I'm giving a lot of thought to right now. And greens 🙂
Tara
Wow, that is an amazing soup!! So chocked full of flavor. I love it!!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Tara!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
What a great family to be a part of! The soup looks hearty and delicious!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Erin!
Cut `n Clean Greens
Susan,
Another winning kale recipe! We're going to declare Kale Soup Week and share this link on our Facebook page. Everyone should make it! Love the harissa in here, too -- an underused spice.
If you wish, come LIKE us on Facebook for more recipes and tips on super healthy greens like kale, chard, beet, mustard, turnip, collard, escarole and other green leafies. https://www.facebook.com/Cut.n.Clean.Greens
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I hopped over to like Cut N Clean Greens. Thanks so much!! I'll be back to get more kale ideas 🙂
DB-The Foodie Stuntman
A great soup and a great story!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks DB 🙂
EA-The Spicy RD
Such a lovely post, and a gorgeous bowl of soup to boot!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks EA! My little pedometer and I just got back from a nice loooong walk. I think of you and your blog every time I use it 🙂
Lane @ Supper for a Steal
What a great post! And this soup sounds amazing.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Lane!
lizthechef
I am again reminded of how much we have in common in terms of family background - lovely post. And the soup looks good too 😉
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thank you dear Liz 🙂
Rodger Helwig
Got a preview of this soup last week when Susan brought it to a pot luck. It is fantastic! Way to go, girl.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Rodger! I'm so glad you liked it. Yaaaayyyy!!
Sarah
Mmm, love harissa in this!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Sarah. Harissa is one of my favorite condiments - I'm a little lost now without it. Which is ridiculous I know 🙂
Renee
What a lovely and heartfelt post. It is those times with family and special friends that remind us of the important things in our lives. It's good that you have found special friends and extended family to share those wonderful times.
Nice addition of kale to this soup. It is a nice color against the tomato and white beans plus what a healthy kick too!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Renee. I'm so lucky to have the friendships in my life that are so important to me, and now some satisfying family relationships that continue to grow over the years. Life is good 🙂
Family Foodie
Oh my goodness, what a beautiful post. One that I certainly can relate to. I too am an "only" and being the daughter of immigrant parents, felt very alone growing up without aunts, uncles or cousins.
You are so right when you talk about emotional generosity. That is something I hope to instill in my children.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful story!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Isabel. I think it's one of the things that really drew me to this wonderful #SundaySupper group - the sense of family you have created. Thanks for sharing your experience here - I totally get that. And it sounds to me like you've definitely instilled it in your children 🙂
Alaiyo Kiasi-Barnes
Hi!
I'm smitten with your soup. It's the picture of comfort, and I love bean soups with greens above all else. I'll be trying this recipe. Kudos!
Alaiyo
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thank you so much Alaiyo!
Jennie @themessybakerblog
Susan, this is such a lovely post. It sounds like you have some wonderful friends and family. This soup looks absolutely amazing.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Jennie. I really enjoyed writing it. And enjoyed the soup the following day 🙂
chatteringkitchen
This looks so delicious
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much!
Courtney @ Neighborfood
What a lovely post! I love the phrase "emotional generosity." What a great challenge for all of us. Sometimes that generosity is scary, risky even, but what wonderful rewards we reap when we're brave enough to invest in the lives of others. On a side note, this soup looks incredible! Perfect for a Sunday Supper!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Courtney. You're right, besides the time we have to be willing to invest, it takes courage to make that investment in another person.
Kim Beaulieu
Beautiful soup and even more beautiful sentiment. I learned so much about life and priorities when my dad was sick. It was like light bulbs went off. Great food with great company always ranks high on the list of things to spend time doing.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
It's so true (and sad) that we really focus in on this when someone close to us is seriously ill, or dies. I look at some families raising kids, and wonder where they find the emotional time and energy for what they're doing, but then remember that there's so much energy that comes back to refresh you too.
Heather @girlichef
I love every single thing about this bowl of soup...it sounds like pure comfort. Though I come from a family of 4 children, we didn't necessarily grow up with parents (or other family members for that matter) who were emotionally generous. I've tried very much to change that with my own actions. Thank you for the reminder.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Good for you for changing that with your own actions. That's really the best thing we can possible do. We didn't all come from the Brady Bunch family :-). Thanks so much Heather.
Laura | Small Wallet, Big Appetite
Oh wow this recipe sounds so amazing, I have pinned it for later.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Laura - I hope you like it as much as we do!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom
oh wow! this soup looks absolutely delicious! I love it and am going to make this!!! yum!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Alice!! I hope you like it as much as we do. Love to hear how it goes with you if you make it 🙂
I WIlkerson
I am very kale-challenged, but this soup looks like a real possibility. Now I can look forward to the first kale in the CSA boxes!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I was kale challenged for years. I kept trying and just didn't like it. But I made up my mind to figure out recipes that I could enjoy, and then kept adding on. Now I love it. But it took awhile to get there :-). I hope you give it a try - I think you'll like it as the kale is more of an accent, and takes on the smoky tomato flavors of the soup.
Mare
Susan, I love the sound of your recipe. I've been on a minestrone soup binge lately after reading The Prejudice Palate by Angelo Pellegrino. Your soup fits right in . Isn't it wonderful to have friends who have a lifetime of friends and stories to share!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Mare - and it's great to hear from you. We're in Tahoe, and will be mostly here for awhile now. I'm not familiar with The Prejudiced Palate - but the title interests me. I'll have to look into it. So wish we could get together soon- I keep thinking life will slow down 🙂
Julia | JuliasAlbum.com
Wow, this soup is so appetizing-looking! It would be so good on a cold night.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Julia. It is indeed my favorite soup right now. It's a combination of flavors and nutrients that makes me feel so good.