Hearty cannellini beans simmered with garlic and thyme, partially blended into a silky base, then finished with fresh spinach and a bright squeeze of lemon. A family favourite served with Parmesan.
Servings
4
Prep time
20 min
Cook time
30 min
Total time
50 min
Ingredients — 4 servings
| Ingredient | Quantity | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetable oil | 1 | tbsp |
| Onion, chopped | 1 | — |
| Celery rib, chopped | 1 | — |
| Garlic clove, minced | 1 | — |
| White cannellini beans, canned, rinsed and drained | 2 cans | 16 oz each |
| Chicken broth, canned | 14 | oz |
| Ground black pepper | ¼ | tsp |
| Dried thyme | ⅛ | tsp |
| Water | 2 | cups |
| Fresh spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced | 1 | bunch |
| Lemon juice | 1 | tbsp |
| Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, for serving | — | to taste |
Directions
1
Sauté the aromatics. Heat the vegetable oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds until fragrant.
2
Build the soup. Stir in the cannellini beans, chicken broth, black pepper, thyme, and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
3
Reserve some beans. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out about 2 cups of the bean and vegetable mixture. Set this aside — it will be stirred back in later to give the soup a chunky, hearty texture.
4
Blend the base. Carefully blend the remaining soup in small batches in a countertop blender at low speed until smooth. Leave the center cap of the blender lid slightly ajar or removed to allow steam to escape — hold a folded kitchen towel over the opening to avoid splashing. Return the blended soup to the pot.
5
Combine and finish. Stir the reserved beans back into the blended soup. Bring back to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally. Add the sliced spinach and stir until fully wilted, about 1 minute.
6
Add lemon and serve. Stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat. Ladle into bowls and top each with a generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan.
Cook's notes
The partial blend technique
Blending most of the soup while keeping a portion of whole beans gives you the best of both worlds — a naturally creamy, velvety base with satisfying chunks of bean and vegetable throughout. An immersion blender works just as well if you prefer to blend directly in the pot.
Hot liquid blender safety
Never fill the blender more than halfway with hot soup, and always start on the lowest speed with the lid slightly vented. The steam pressure from hot liquid can force the lid off and cause dangerous splashing — a folded towel held firmly over the top is essential insurance.
Make it vegetarian
Simply swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth for a fully plant-based version — the soup loses nothing in depth or flavour. A drizzle of good olive oil and extra lemon zest at serving also elevates this beautifully.
Nutrition per serving
| Nutrient | Amount | Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | — | Saturated fat | — |
| Protein | — | Cholesterol | — |
| Total carbohydrate | — | Sodium | — |
| Dietary fiber | — | Calcium | — |
| Total sugars | — | Vitamin C | — |
| Total fat | — | Potassium | — |
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