Recipe: White Bean Soup with Greens

  don’t know about you, but I’m tired of looking at all those cans of beans that I bought at the start of the pandemic in 2020. I’ve started to realize that some are nearing their sell-by date, too. So, I pulled this recipe from the archives and I’ve made two or three versions in the past couple of weeks. As the weather has turned chillier, it’s been a perfect cooking task when a pot of something on the stove steaming up the windows makes the house feel cozy.

I love this soup as it’s flexible and, since you can start with canned beans, doesn’t take long to prepare, either. It’s a terrific way to use up some of your random greens in your crisper drawer, too. I’ve made variations of this soup with just about every vegetable possible, but I always seem to return to the original combination of white beans and dark greens; they just complement each other somehow.

This is great with some crusty bread (like this no-knead version). If you don’t have stock in your freezer, check out my guide to making chicken stock or vegetable broth. Both work just fine in this recipe.

PrintWhite Bean Soup with GreensA protein-packed healthy, vegetarian stew for cold winter days. Like most soups, this is a flexible way to use up leftover vegetables. Use kale, collard or other hearty greens. But feel free to add in other vegetables. I've used a fistful of leftover green beans sweet potatoes, zucchini. carrots and artichokes.If using cooked vegetables, add them at the end of cooking so they don't overcook. I used canned beans for convenience, but you can obviously include dried beans in their place; just simmer them until soft and then commence with the recipe. To make this properly vegetarian, simply swap vegetable stock for chicken.Course Main CourseCuisine FrenchKeyword beans, budget friendly, greens, kale, soup, vegetarianServings 6Ingredients2 tablespoons oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 quarts chicken stock or vegetable stock

1 quart water

1 14 oz. can great northern or cannelloni beans, drained, rinsed

1 14 oz. can chopped and seeded tomatoes, or 2 cups fresh

1 to 2 cups other vegetables

1 tablespoon dried mixed Italian herbs

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

2 cups kale or collard greens, roughly chopped

Salt, ground pepper

Grated Parmesan cheese

InstructionsIn a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft, about three minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the stock, water, beans, tomatoes, vegetables (if raw), herbs, cayenne and pepper and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add greens simmer about 10 minutes. Add soft and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls; sprinkle with grated Parmesan and a couple grinds of fresh pepper.To make this in an Instant Pot:Heat olive oil in the Instant Pot pan on saute. Add onion and cook untilsoft, about three minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the stock, water, beans, tomatoes, vegetables, herbs, cayenne and pepper and pressure cook for 7 minutes. It can stay on warm for at least an hour. Serrve with grated cheese and fresh pepper.

Photo by Nataliya Arzamasova. This post was originally published in February 2009. It has been updated.

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