Herbed White Bean Soup Recipe

By
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin is a freelance lifestyle writer and recipe developer. Her expertise is in French cuisine, which she writes about and teaches.
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Updated on 12/26/21
Herbed White Bean Soup

thebittenword / Flickr
Prep: 60 mins
Cook: 2 hrs
Total: 3 hrs
Servings: 10 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
140 Calories
2g Fat
20g Carbs
10g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 140
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 11mg 4%
Sodium 388mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 3mg 15%
Calcium 59mg 5%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 525mg 11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

White beans sometimes carry the connotation of being boring. Instead, think of them as a culinary blank slate, full of potential. This French white bean soup recipe is punched up with classic Provencal herbs such as parsley, sage, and rosemary, to delicious effect.

For one, their creamy texture is nothing short of addictive; it adds a velvety mouthfeel to any dish, without the need to add any fat (although they are very good with olive oil). Combine that with the fact that they’re a great source of inexpensive protein and they’re almost impossible to cook wrong. They are especially rewarding in a bowl of soup with lots of herbs.

Serve this hearty soup as a meal on its own for lunch or dinner with crusty bread, or alongside a green salad and a roasted chicken dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound white beans, navy, great Northern, or cannellini, sorted and rinsed

  • 4 cups chicken stock

  • 2 cups water

  • 1 cup chopped country ham

  • 3/4 cup chopped carrots

  • 3/4 cup chopped yellow onion

  • 2 clove garlic, crushed and chopped

  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley

  • 1 1/4 teaspoons rubbed sage

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed rosemary

  • 1/8 teaspoon (1 pinch) dried basil

  • 2/3 cup potatoes, cooked and mashed

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Cover the beans with 1-inch of water and soak them overnight, or bring them to a rapid boil, cover and set aside for 1 hour.

  3. Drain the beans, place them in a large saucepan, and add the chicken stock, water, ham, carrots, onions, garlic, and seasonings to the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over low heat and allow the soup to cook for 90 minutes to 2 hours, until the beans are tender.

  4. Add the mashed potatoes and simmer the soup for an additional 5 minutes.

  5. Serve hot in soup bowls and enjoy.

Variations

  • Instead of using dried beans, you can make this soup with canned white beans. It will shave off about an hour of the cooking time.
  • Use cooked crumbled bacon instead of cooked cubed ham, and add it as a garnish to retain some of its crunch.
  • Use all water instead of chicken stock if you don't have any.
  • Leave out the ham altogether if you're making it a vegetarian soup, and use all water or a combination of water and vegetable stock, instead of chicken stock.

How to Store and Freeze Herbed White Bean Soup

This soup, like all soup, tastes better the longer it sits. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 or 5 days in an airtight container.

You can also freeze this white bean soup in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months. Defrost in the refrigerator or heat it up directly from frozen in a saucepan over medium high heat, adding a bit more water or stock as needed to thin it out.