This Tuscan White Bean Soup Recipe is packed with texture and flavor!  Made in just one pot and ready in 30 minutes or less, this Tuscan soup is a restaurant quality dish you can easily make from the comfort of your own home!

*Updated*

This post was originally published in January 2015.  I took new photos, tweaked the recipe slightly and updated the post below to include more information about this One Pot Tuscan Bean Soup.  Plus, I added a recipe video to show you how easy this white bean soup is to make!  

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I dunno what is going on with me recently, but I’m constantly exhausted… mind, body & soul.  Maybe there is something in the air, or possibly it’s just all the cold weather, because it is not just me experiencing this fatigue.

Boy keeps complaining he is beat as well.  You can probably imagine, as a couple, we are pretty gosh darn boring at the moment.

But, maybe we are just getting old.

Actually, I’m fairly certain that is what’s happening since I just found my first two gray hairs.  (<– Ugh.  Brutal truth)

Regardless, whenever I’m feeling tired and rundown (and just old), I always crave a big ‘ole bowl of hearty, warming soup.  And, the soup I’m sharing today most definitely fits that bill!

In fact, this Tuscan bean soup is so dang delicious, Boy requests it every single winter season without fail.

Tuscan Bean Soup Recipe

While this soup didn’t give me everlasting energy (maybe I need a gobstopper), it definitely warmed my soul and happily filled my belly.

This soup is perfect for all this crazy cold weather.

It’s nice and light, filled with lots of protein, easy to prepare and comes together quickly.

This Tuscan bean soup is silky and velvety in texture from the touch of cream, and if you puree it, from the beans as well.

The diced and rendered bacon delivers salty, savory flavor and the addition of fresh rosemary provides earthy undertones.

The veggies add a depth of flavor and help you keep up with your healthy new year’s resolution, while the parmesan cheese adds that final touch of love and Je-ne-sais-quoi.

What is Tuscan bean soup?

Tuscan bean soup is a rustic bean soup in the style of Tuscany.

Tuscan bean soups are usually made up of cannellini beans, garlic, celery, carrots, onions and seasonings.  While there are a ton of optional add-in’s, such as kale, Italian sausage or potatoes, this Tuscan bean soup also features salty, crispy bacon for a touch of meaty richness.

What to serve with Tuscan soup?

Tuscan bean soup is usually served with toasted, crusty Tuscan bread, however you can serve this soup with any type of artisan bread desired.

Looking to turn this soup into a more rounded meal?  Here are some delicious serving options for Tuscan bean soup:

• Hearty salad – a kale based salad would be a delicious pairing!
• Grilled or sautéed Italian sausage
• Stuffed peppers or tomatoes
• Plenty of crusty bread – this soup tastes absolutely amazing if served in a bread bowl!

How to serve Tuscan White Bean Soup?

There are three ways you can serve this soup, depending on your mood:

• Serve as is, chunky with the beans, bacon and veggies whole and left intact.
• Puree part of the soup to achieve a slightly more silky texture (this is what I did).  There are two ways you can do this:
  • Immersion blender right into the pot and carefully puree until desired silky: chunky ratio is achieved.
  • Remove part of the soup with a ladle or measuring cup and puree with the immersion blender or place removed portion of soup into a standing blender.  Stir removed portion back into the pot.

• Puree the entire soup, this will obviously yield the most silky, luscious texture.  I did this to my left overs.  Seriously good stuff.

Regardless of how you serve this soup – rustic, slightly pureed and chunky, or silky smooth – a good drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a heavy dusting of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano is highly recommended! 

No matter how you choose to serve this, or how old you feel, I can guarantee you will enjoy this soup and momentarily forget about whatever is ailing you.

Until next time, Cheers and Enjoy!

-xoxo-

Cheyanne

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How to make the best Tuscan White Bean Soup with bacon recipe plus step-by-step video👇

5 from 7 votes

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Tuscan White Bean Soup with Bacon

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

This Tuscan White Bean Soup is packed with texture and flavor!  It's a restaurant quality dish you can easily make from the comfort of your own home!

Course: main, Soup

Cuisine: Italian, Tuscan

Keyword: bacon, Easy, rosemary, white bean

Servings: 4

Calories: 238 kcal

Author: Cheyanne Bany

Ingredients

• 10 strips Bacon – diced
• 2 large Shallots – peeled & small dice (about 1 1/2 cup)
• 3 medium Carrot – peeled & small dice (about 3/4 cup)
• 3 medium Celery – small dice (about 3/4 cup)
• 4 small cloves Garlic – peeled & minced*
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• ¾ tsp Kosher Salt
• heaping 1/4 tsp Pepper
• ½ cup White Wine
• 4 Cups Reduced sodium Chicken Stock (can substitute vegetable stock)
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans Cannellini Beans UNDRAINED (can substitute great northern beans)*
• 2 sprigs fresh Rosemary
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 Parmesan Cheese Rind (optional)
• ¼ - ½ Cup Heavy Cream (can substitute Half and Half)
• Salt and Pepper , to taste
• 1 TBS fresh Parsley leaves – chopped, or more to taste
• ½ Cup Parmigiano Reggiano , plus more for serving

Instructions

1. Place a large stock pot over medium heat and add bacon. Cook until bacon is crisp and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate, leaving bacon dripping in pan. Set aside.
2. You want about 1 tablespoon of drippings in the pot, if you do not have enough fat, add extra virgin olive oil to pan until you have about 1 tablespoon of liquid (just eyeball this).
3. Increase heat to medium high. Add shallots, carrot, and celery to pot. Cook, stirring frequently until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper; cook until aromatic, 30 seconds - 1 minute.
4. Add white wine to deglaze pan, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until wine is reduced to 2 tablespoon, about 3-4 minutes
5. Add the Chicken stock, beans with their liquid, rosemary sprigs, bay leaf and parmesan rind (if using).
6. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

7. Use tongs to remove rosemary sprigs, bay leaf and parmesan rind. Add in the bacon, half and half*, chopped parsley leaves and grated parmesan. Taste and adjust for seasoning. *Use ½ Cup for a creamier, richer texture and taste

8. Options To Finish:

   1. Serve As Is.
   

   2. Use and Immersion blender to blend until desired consistency. I gently and carefully blended about ½ of the soup for a slightly creamy yet rustic soup.
   

   3. Remove a couple ladlefuls of beans, puree remaining soup, add back in removed beans.
   

   4. Remove, in batches, to a blender and puree until desired consistency.
   

9. To serve: Ladle soup into bread bowls and garnish with grated parmesan cheese.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

1. If you have an aversion to garlic, you might want to cut the amount of garlic in half, or adjust the amount to your liking.  
2. DO NOT drain the beans!  The liquid contains starch and helps thicken the soup.  However, the liquid does contain sodium, so keep that in mind when adding salt to the soup!

Nutrition Facts

Tuscan White Bean Soup with Bacon

Amount Per Serving

Calories 238 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 15g 23%

Saturated Fat 6g 30%

Cholesterol 26mg 9%

Sodium 904mg 38%

Potassium 356mg 10%

Total Carbohydrates 7g 2%

Sugars 1g

Protein 13g 26%

Vitamin A 62.1%

Vitamin C 2.1%

Calcium 17%

Iron 4.7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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