Description
Creamy, cozy, and packed with flavor, this Parmesan Tomato Cannellini Bean Soup blends fire-roasted tomatoes, tender white beans, spinach, and savory Parmesan for a comforting meal that’s both easy and elegant.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 (14 oz) can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 (14 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (about 28 oz total)
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 Parmesan rind
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
- 5 oz fresh spinach (or frozen, thawed and squeezed dry)
- Crushed red pepper, for topping (optional)
Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper; sauté about 5 minutes until softened.
2. Stir in tomato paste, dried basil, oregano, and thyme. Cook 3–5 minutes, stirring often, until the paste darkens and spices are fragrant.
3. Add fire-roasted tomatoes, cannellini beans, stock, and the Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Uncover and remove/discard the Parmesan rind. Stir in heavy cream, grated Parmesan, and spinach. Simmer 5–10 minutes until the cheese melts and spinach wilts.
5. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with extra Parmesan and a pinch of crushed red pepper if desired.
Notes
Use half-and-half or unsweetened cashew cream instead of heavy cream for a lighter option.
Add diced zucchini, carrots, or mushrooms with the onions to increase veggie content.
Spice it up with extra crushed red pepper or a pinch of cayenne.
For a brothy finish, increase stock and reduce cream.
To make it vegan, omit Parmesan and cream; use plant-based cream and nutritional yeast instead.
If you don’t have a Parmesan rind, stir in an extra 1/4–1/2 cup grated Parmesan at the end.
You can use about 3 cups cooked dried cannellini beans instead of canned.
Thawed frozen spinach works well—just squeeze out excess moisture.
To make in a slow cooker, add everything except cream, Parmesan, and spinach; cook on LOW 6–7 hours, then stir in remaining ingredients to finish.
If freezing, omit the cream and cheese before storing; stir them in after reheating for the best texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg