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Tuscan White Bean Soup

Tuscan white bean soup simmered with cannellini beans, rosemary, and a parmesan rind for a golden, savory broth. The kale wilts into the pot and a portion of beans is mashed to create a naturally thick, comforting texture.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 470
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

cannellini beans
  • 2 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained
pancetta or bacon
  • 4 oz pancetta or bacon, diced
kale
  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped
onion
  • 1 onion, diced
garlic
  • 4 clove garlic, minced
celery
  • 2 stalk celery, diced
diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
broth
  • 6 cup chicken or vegetable broth
fresh rosemary
  • 2 sprig fresh rosemary
parmesan rind
  • 1 parmesan rind (optional but adds depth)
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil, for serving
parmesan shavings
  • 2 tbsp parmesan shavings
crusty bread
  • 1 crusty bread for serving
salt
  • 1 Salt
black pepper
  • 1 pepper

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Render pancetta
  1. Cook pancetta in a large pot over medium heat until crispy, then remove and set aside (keep the rendered fat in the pot).
Build the soup base
  1. Sauté onion, celery, and garlic in the fat over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring, until softened and fragrant.
  2. Add diced tomatoes, broth, rosemary sprigs, parmesan rind if using, and Italian seasoning, then bring to a boil.
Simmer and thicken
  1. Add cannellini beans and simmer for 20 minutes, maintaining a gentle bubble.
  2. Remove rosemary and parmesan rind, then mash about a third of the beans in the pot to thicken the broth.
Finish
  1. Add kale and simmer for 5-8 minutes, until wilted and bright green.
  2. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then drizzle with olive oil and top with parmesan shavings and pancetta.
  3. Serve immediately with crusty bread on the side.

Notes

Pro tip: after mashing part of the beans, taste and adjust seasoning before adding the kale so the broth carries the flavor. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove until hot. Freezing is yes (best up to 2 months); kale may soften further after thawing. For a lighter swap, use turkey bacon or omit pancetta and use all vegetable broth for a meat-reduced version.