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Tuscan White Bean Soup

Tuscan white bean soup with a golden herb-and-rosemary broth, creamy mashed cannellini beans, and tender kale. Simmered until thickened and finished with crispy pancetta, parmesan, and olive oil for a hearty Italian main.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beans
  • 2 can (15 oz) cannellini beans drained
  • Olive oil for serving
  • parmesan shavings for serving
  • crusty bread for serving
Soup base
  • 4 oz pancetta or bacon diced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 6 cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 parmesan rind (optional but adds depth) optional
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
Greens
  • 1 bunch kale stems removed and chopped
Topping
  • pancetta reserved, for topping

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Crisp the pancetta
  1. Cook the pancetta in a large pot over medium heat until crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally; visual cue: browned, crisp edges.
  2. Remove the pancetta and set it aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot; visual cue: about 2 tablespoons fat in the bottom.
Build the soup base
  1. Sauté the onion, celery, and garlic in the pancetta fat over medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened and fragrant; visual cue: onion turns translucent.
  2. Add the diced tomatoes, broth, rosemary sprigs, parmesan rind if using, and Italian seasoning to the pot; bring to a boil over high heat, then maintain a steady simmer; visual cue: active bubbling across the surface.
Simmer and thicken
  1. Add the cannellini beans and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally; visual cue: beans tender and broth slightly thickens.
  2. Remove the rosemary and parmesan rind, then mash about a third of the beans in the pot to thicken; visual cue: you see creamy, broken beans throughout.
Wilt the kale and finish
  1. Add the kale and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes until wilted; visual cue: dark green leaves turn tender and glossy.
  2. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then drizzle with olive oil and top with parmesan and pancetta; visual cue: parmesan lightly melts on the hot surface.

Notes

Pro tip: mash the beans right in the pot so you get natural creaminess without blending. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze for up to 3 months. For a dietary swap, use vegetable broth and omit pancetta (or replace with smoked paprika for a similar smoky note).