Creamy Tuscan White Bean Soup (Print View)

Rich, velvety Tuscan soup with creamy white beans, pancetta, and sun-dried tomatoes.

# Components:

→ Meats

01 - 3.5 oz pancetta, diced

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 2 celery stalks, finely diced
05 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
06 - 2.6 oz sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
07 - 2 cans (14 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
08 - 1 bay leaf

→ Liquids

09 - 27 fl oz low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 4 fl oz heavy cream

→ Seasonings

11 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs or mixed oregano, basil, thyme
12 - 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
13 - Salt to taste
14 - Pinch of red pepper flakes optional

→ Garnishes

15 - 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese optional
16 - Fresh basil or parsley leaves, chopped optional
17 - Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

# Directions:

01 - In a large soup pot over medium heat, cook the diced pancetta until golden and crispy, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
02 - In the rendered pancetta fat, sauté onion, celery, and carrot until softened, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and Italian herbs, cooking for another minute to release their aromatic qualities.
04 - Add cannellini beans, chicken broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
05 - Remove the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to process the soup until smooth, or leave it slightly chunky according to preference.
06 - Stir in heavy cream and half of the reserved pancetta. Simmer for 5 minutes more. Season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top with remaining pancetta, a drizzle of olive oil, grated Parmesan, and fresh herbs if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours stirring a pot, but honest confession: you're eating it in under an hour and feeling like a genius.
  • The cream makes it luxurious without being heavy, and the pancetta gives it that savory depth that makes people ask for your secrets.
  • It's naturally gluten-free, so you can serve it to almost anyone without the usual apologetic footnotes.
  • One pot, one blender, and somehow you've created something that tastes like a trattoria made it in your kitchen.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans—that starchy liquid will make your soup cloudy and thick in ways you didn't intend, so run them under cold water first.
  • If you blend the entire soup to total smoothness, it becomes almost custard-like; leaving some texture makes it feel more like you cooked it with intention rather than just poured ingredients together.
  • Taste the soup before adding all the salt—the pancetta and Parmesan bring saltiness you might not expect, and it's easier to add than take away.
03 -
  • Make it vegetarian by skipping the pancetta entirely and using vegetable broth instead—the sun-dried tomatoes and herbs are rich enough that you won't miss the meat, though you might add a pinch more salt to compensate.
  • If you find cannellini beans intimidating or they're not at your store, great northern beans or even white kidney beans will behave exactly the same way in this recipe.
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