White Bean Parmesan Soup (Printable)

A velvety blend of white beans, vegetables, and Parmesan in a comforting soup ready in under an hour.

# 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

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until vegetables are softened and translucent.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add drained beans, vegetable stock, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer.
04 - Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
05 - Remove bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to purée soup until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, transfer in batches to a countertop blender and process until desired consistency.
06 - Stir in Parmesan cheese and heavy cream. Heat gently until cheese is melted and soup reaches serving temperature. Adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top with additional Parmesan and fresh parsley. Serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, but honest truth, you'll have it on the table in under an hour.
  • The Parmesan doesn't just sit on top—it melts right into the soup and becomes part of the soul of it.
  • One pot, hardly any cleanup, and somehow it feels like restaurant food.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans—that starchy liquid they come in can make your soup cloudy and thick in a way that doesn't feel right.
  • The immersion blender is a game-changer here, but if you don't have one, a regular blender works perfectly fine, just blend it in smaller batches to stay safe.
  • Freshly grated Parmesan makes an actual difference—the pre-grated kind won't melt as smoothly and leaves little grainy bits instead of becoming part of the soup.
03 -
  • Don't be shy with the Parmesan when you're stirring it in—it's what makes this soup feel indulgent and restaurant-quality, and good Parmesan is worth the investment.
  • If you're making this ahead, wait to blend it until just before serving so you don't end up with something that's gotten too thick in the fridge.
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