White Bean Soup is the perfect comfort food when you are looking for a vegetarian soup to warm you up. Filled with herbs and brightened with lemon - your family will love this one. 336 calories and 2 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP
White Bean Soup Recipe with Arugula & Lemon
If you're thinking there's no way that a vegetarian soup could fill you up at dinnertime, think again! This white bean soup recipe packs 13 grams of fiber and 14 grams of protein into one hearty serving. You'll never miss the meat!
While I typically serve a green salad, a kale salad or even a broccoli salad with soup for an extra boost of greens, you could get away without it because this soup also includes a couple of handfuls of peppery arugula and other vegetables. It's truly an all-in-one meal.
As much as I wish I could claim credit for this soup, all of the accolades belong to my friend, Samantha Ferraro of the blog The Little Ferraro Kitchen. This recipe is straight from her gorgeous new cookbook, The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen: 80 Authentic, Healthy Recipes Made Quick & Easy for Everyday Cooking (affiliate link).
This book would make a fantastic gift for a friend or family member (or for yourself) - the holidays are coming, friends! It's filled with beautiful photographs and recipes that are really approachable for the home cook. Sam has a knack for producing flavorful recipes with simple, natural ingredients.
Some of the other recipes I'll be trying? Poached Fish with Chickpeas, Tomatoes & Herbs (such a simple way to prepare fish); One-Pot Paprika Chicken with Olives & Orzo (can we ever have enough one-pot meals?!) and Baked Feta, Two Ways (sounds like game day munching to me).
Tips for making this white bean soup recipe:
- Safety first! I'm going to start with a warning because the last thing I want you to do is burn yourself. If you choose to puree some of the soup in a blender, PLEASE let the soup cool down a bit before doing so. Hold the lid on tightly while pureeing, but stop the blender and release some steam after a few seconds to avoid the lid blowing off from steam pressure.
- This soup is a cinch to make and just requires a bit of chopping. If you've never cooked with a leek before, hop over to my tutorial on How to Prepare a Leek (it's super easy - I promise).
- In this recipe, a piece of Parmesan cheese rind is added for extra flavor. If you follow a vegetarian diet, be sure to use rennet-free Parmesan. If you follow a vegan diet, leave out the cheese altogether.
- This soup is great as a make-ahead meal. I recommend stirring in the arugula right before serving so it doesn't over-wilt.
Other bean soup recipes:
Vegan Potato Soup with Beans & Kale {Cookin' Canuck}
Slow Cooker Bean Soup with Quinoa & Sweet Potatoes {Cookin' Canuck}
Instant Pot Black Bean Soup with Tomatoes {Everyday Maven}
Rustic Minestrone Soup with Rice & Kale {The Roasted Root}
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White Bean Soup with Arugula & Lemon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil*
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 1 medium leek white & light green sections chopped
- 1 medium red or orange bell pepper seeded & chopped
- 1 carrot peeled & sliced into thin ¼-inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary leaved removed & chopped
- 2 springs fresh oregano leaves removed & chopped
- 2-3 springs fresh thyme leaves removed & chopped
- 5 cups low sodium vegetable broth**
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 strips lemon zest using a vegetable peeler
- 1 inch chunk Parmesan rind
- 15 ounces canned or cooked chickpeas rinsed
- 15 ounces canned or cooked white beans rinsed
- ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper or to taste
- 2 cups arugula loosely packed
- Parmesan strips using a vegetable peeler, for garnish***
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the celery, leek, bell pepper and carrot, and saute so they all begin to soften, about 5 to 6 minutes. Allow the vegetables to sweat but not turn brown – you just want them to soften.
- Add the garlic, dried oregano, rosemary, oregano and thyme, and continue to cook, stirring everything together for another minute.
- Pour in the broth and add the bay leaf, lemon zest, Parmesan rind, chickpeas and beans. Stir to combine and season to taste.
- Cover the pot with a lid, bring to a low simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
- Once done, remove the cheese rind and the lemon zest. If you prefer a creamier soup (which I do!), use an immersion blender to blend some of the soup. Alternatively, let the soup cool slightly, then ladle 2 cups of the soup into a blender or food processor, blend to a smooth consistency, then add that back into the soup. **Be sure to let the soup cool a bit and hold the lid on your blender so you don’t burn yourself or end up with soup on your ceiling.**
- Remove the soup from the heat and add the arugula. The residual heat will soften the leaves.
- Garnish with the strips of Parmesan.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Sarah J
Absolutely delicious. I can't wait to try this soup. Simply mouthwatering and healthy too.
Samantha Ferraro
Oh thank you so so much!! You make this soup look so delicious!! Thank you so much for making something from the book, Dara 🙂