Creamy Tuscan White Bean Soup (Printer View)

A luxurious Italian-style white bean soup with pancetta, sun-dried tomatoes, and cream.

# What you'll need:

→ Meats

01 - 3.5 ounces 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 ounces sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
07 - 2 cans (14 ounces each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
08 - 1 bay leaf

→ Liquids

09 - 27 fluid ounces low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 4 fluid ounces heavy cream

→ Seasonings

11 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs or mixed oregano, basil, and thyme
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

# Method:

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.
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 Italian herbs, cooking for another minute to release their flavors.
04 - Add cannellini beans, chicken broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
05 - Remove the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth, or leave it slightly chunky if preferred.
06 - Stir in heavy cream and half of the reserved pancetta. Simmer for 5 minutes more. 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 -
  • It's ready in under an hour but tastes like you've been stirring it all afternoon.
  • The pancetta fat does all the flavor work for you, so you can't really mess this up.
  • One pot means one thing to wash, and honestly, that alone makes weeknight cooking feel manageable.
02 -
  • Blending hot soup without leaving the lid slightly ajar or venting steam can cause it to erupt—a lesson I learned with my first immersion blender and a scalded arm.
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans; the starch makes the soup cloudy instead of silky, and that one step makes the difference between homemade and canned-soup vibes.
03 -
  • Make a double batch and freeze half in an airtight container for up to 3 months—this soup tastes even better reheated because the flavors have more time to settle.
  • If your soup breaks or the cream separates (usually from too much heat at the end), stir in a cold splash of broth off heat to bring it back together.
Return