Creamy Tuscan White Bean Soup (Print Version)

Rich, velvety white bean soup with pancetta, sun-dried tomatoes, and Italian herbs.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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 (15 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 oregano, basil, and thyme blend
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

# How to Make It:

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 on paper towels.
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 dried Italian herbs, cooking for 1 minute to develop flavors.
04 - Add cannellini beans, chicken broth, and bay leaf to the pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
05 - Remove the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to purée 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 additional minutes. 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 -
  • The velvety texture hits that perfect balance between rustic and refined, making you feel like youre dining in a Tuscan farmhouse without any fussy techniques.
  • It transforms humble pantry staples into something genuinely luxurious, which has saved me countless times when unexpected dinner guests arrive.
02 -
  • Never add the cream to boiling soup or it might curdle, always reduce to a gentle simmer first, a mistake I made during my first attempt that resulted in an unpleasant grainy texture.
  • The immersion blender creates different textures depending on how long you blend, I discovered by accident that 30-second pulses give the ideal balance between creamy and chunky.
03 -
  • Save some whole beans before blending and add them back to the soup at the end for textural contrast, a trick my Italian neighbor taught me that makes each spoonful more interesting.
  • The soup will thicken considerably as it cools, so if youre reheating leftovers, keep extra broth on hand to adjust the consistency to your preference.
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