Creamy Homemade White Bean Soup Recipe with Broccoli (2024)

Date: Dec 8, 2023 · Updated: Dec 9, 2023 Author: Sharon Rigsby

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Creamy Homemade White Bean Soup with Broccoli is an irresistible blend of smooth and nutty cannellini beans with roasted broccoli, caramelized garlic, and fresh shallots.

Despite being made with only a handful of pantry staples, this pureed white bean soup has a great depth of flavor from the roasted garlic and broccoli. It’s a bowl of simple deliciousness guaranteed to warm the soul!

A big bowl of comforting soup is exactly what you need this winter. And, like my Irish Potato Soup, Green Lemon Soup with Chicken and Orzo, Roasted Tomato Soup, and Sweet Potato Soup, this easy white bean soup recipe makes a perfect blended soup with a silky, creamy texture.

Creamy Homemade White Bean Soup Recipe with Broccoli (1)

Topped off with a splash of heavy cream, this simple soup is light and luscious at the same time. Serve this easy dish with a fresh salad and crusty bread for a quick and healthy lunch or dinner.

Use an immersion blender for a quick and easy puree, or transfer the soup to a high-speed blender for a dreamy, velvety consistency.

Either way, you will want to make a large pot of this simple soup because this delicious recipe is perfect for meal prep and will have your family coming back for seconds.

Reasons to love this recipe:

This creamy white bean soup is light, healthy, and filled with fresh vegetables, but still satisfying, delicious, and true comfort food.
This is one of our favorite soup recipes for meal prep. Pureed soups are perfect for freezing and reheating as needed.
This dish is a great way to sneak some extra vegetables into your picky eaters! The beans and cream create such a rich and silky broth that your kids will have a hard time guessing that broccoli is one of the key ingredients.

Ingredient notes and substitutions:

Creamy Homemade White Bean Soup Recipe with Broccoli (2)

Olive oil: Olive oil forms a flavorful base for sautéing the fresh vegetables.
Broccoli: Fresh broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse. Roasting the broccoli before adding it to the soup deepens the flavor and makes it sweeter and nuttier. You can also substitute frozen broccoli in this recipe! Just allow the broccoli to thaw under warm running water, dry it, and then roast it as you would fresh.
Garlic: Use fresh whole garlic cloves in this recipe.
Shallots: Caramelizing the shallots in olive oil only takes a few minutes and adds a great depth of flavor. You can substitute a yellow onion.
Cannellini beans: Any white bean, such as great Northern or kidney beans, would make an excellent base for this dish Make sure you use canned beans or soaked and cooked beans.
Chicken stock: This is a simple soup, so a high-quality and flavorful stock is essential! If you’d like to make your own, you can check out my post, How to Make Homemade Chicken Stock. You can also substitute chicken broth or vegetable broth, or vegetable stock for a vegetarian soup.
Heavy cream: A splash of heavy cream makes the broth luxurious and creamy. You can substitute half and half or milk for a lighter option. Or, feel free to add a little bit more for an even creamier soup.
Salt and pepper: enhance the other flavors. If you use regular chicken stock, you may not need any salt. Taste before adding.
Fresh herbs (optional): I added some fresh parsley as a garnish. Fresh rosemary or thyme would also be delicious. If you don’t have any fresh herbs on hand, you can add a pinch of Italian seasoning or red pepper flakes to the broth while it’s cooking

Complete measurements are in the recipe card below.

How to make this recipe for creamy white bean soup with broccoli:

To begin making this delicious soup, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Cut the florets off the broccoli stalks (reserve the stalks) and place them on a baking sheet along with four cloves of peeled garlic. Drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil — toss and roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

Creamy Homemade White Bean Soup Recipe with Broccoli (3)

Meanwhile, peel half of the broccoli stems. Cut half of the stems into small pieces and discard the other half. Peel and mince the shallots. Place the chopped broccoli stalks and shallots into a large Dutch oven, or large pot with one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are softened.

Creamy Homemade White Bean Soup Recipe with Broccoli (4)

Add the chicken stock and beans, cover and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low, cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Creamy Homemade White Bean Soup Recipe with Broccoli (5)

Add the roasted broccoli and garlic to the pan. Use an immersion blender or a high speed blender to puree the mixture to a creamy consistency.

Creamy Homemade White Bean Soup Recipe with Broccoli (6)

Add the cream, stir, and taste. Add kosher salt and ground black pepper.

Creamy Homemade White Bean Soup Recipe with Broccoli (7)

If desired, garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Creamy Homemade White Bean Soup Recipe with Broccoli (8)

Serving suggestions:

This soup is a delicious light meal all by itself, but if I want to make it a little more hearty, I’ll add a Spinach Salad, Apple Pecan Salad, Grape Salad, or Brussels Sprout Salad and serve it with Hoe Cakes, a slice of my Texas Toast Garlic Bread, or Southern Cornbread.

It also makes a great starter course for entrees such as Blackened Grouper, Fried Fish, Stuffed Cornish Hens, or Oven Fried Chicken.

My German Chocolate Brownies, Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies, Chocolate Raspberry Tart, or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Pie would be a sweet ending to an awesome meal.

Recipe variations:

This simple soup recipe can easily be changed up by adding a cup or so of cooked sausage, chicken or ham, or fresh chopped kale, spinach, or escarole.

A sprinkle of parmesan cheese, a dollop of sour cream, a drizzle of olive oil, truffle oil, a splash of lemon juice, or lemon zest can add another flavor dimension to the dish.

What can you substitute for cannellini beans:

Great Northern Beans or Navy Beans are white beans and make excellent substitutes for cannellini beans which are sometimes called white kidney beans.

Cannellini beans, just like other white beans, are incredibly versatile. I almost always have a can in my pantry and can whip up any number of delicious cannellini bean recipes in a matter of minutes.

How to store and reheat leftovers:

This dish is even better the next day. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. For extended storage, freeze the leftovers in individual servings and store it in a freezer-safe container for two to three months.

You can reheat the leftovers on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Recipe FAQs:

Are white beans and cannellini beans the same thing?

Although the terms are often used interchangeably in recipes, cannellini beans, sometimes called white kidney beans, are just one variety of white beans, which include navy beans and great Northern beans.

What’s used to thicken white bean soup?

As white beans cook, they release their starches, which thicken the soup naturally. This is especially true in this recipe when the bean mixture is processed using an immersion blender before serving, resulting in a creamy, rich, thick soup.

Is this recipe gluten-free?

The recipe, as written, should be gluten-free, but as always, check your ingredient labels to verify this.

Expert tips and tricks:

If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a blender or your food processor to puree the soup. Be careful when processing hot liquid. Only fill the blender or food processor halfway and blend in batches. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes before you start, and always hold a potholder or kitchen towel over the lid when blending.

Be sure to drain and thoroughly rinse your canned beans before adding them to the soup.

If you want to use dry beans in the recipe, you can follow this helpful tutorial for how to cook dried beans.

More simple soup recipes:

If you like soup as we do, I know you will love these easy and nutritious soup recipes from my blog:

One-Pot Lasagna Soup – Comfort Food in a Bowl
One-Pot Green Lentil Soup with Carrots, Onions, and Celery
Chicken and Dumplings with Biscuits

Need more recipes, check out all of my soup recipes here.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!

Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones; I hope you come back soon!

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Creamy Homemade White Bean Soup Recipe with Broccoli

Sharon Rigsby

Creamy Homemade White Bean Soup with Broccoli is an irresistible blend of smooth and nutty cannellini beans with roasted broccoli, caramelized garlic, and fresh shallots.

5 from 9 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 6 servings

Calories 234 kcal

Ingredients

▢ 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
▢ 2 large heads of broccoli with stalks or 3 small
▢ 4 cloves garlic peeled
▢ 2 shallots or 1 small onion, peeled and minced
▢ 15 oz cannellini beans canned, drained and rinsed
▢ 3 cups Low-sodium chicken stock *see note if using regular chicken stock
▢ ⅓ cup heavy cream or half-and-half or milk
▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt If you use regular chicken stock, you may not need to add any salt. Taste your soup and add if needed.
▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper.
▢ chopped fresh parsley optional garnish

Instructions

To begin making this delicious soup, preheat the oven to 400°F.
Cut the florets off the broccoli stalks (reserve the stalks) and place them on a baking sheet along with four cloves of peeled garlic. Drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil — toss and roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel half of the broccoli stems. Cut half of the stems into small pieces and discard the other half. Peel and mince the shallots.
Put the chopped broccoli stalk pieces and shallots into a large pot, large soup pot, or Dutch oven, along with one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
Add the chicken stock and beans, cover and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low, cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
Add the roasted broccoli and garlic to the pan. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture to a creamy consistency.
Add the cream, stir, and taste. Add kosher salt and ground black pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve immediately.

Notes

If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can also use a blender or your food processor to puree your soup. Be careful when processing hot soup. Only fill the blender or food processor halfway and blend in batches. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes before you start, and always hold a potholder or kitchen towel over the lid when blending.