Here’s the printable recipe from the “Tuscan Bean Soup” episode that was recently published on my YouTube channel. The soup is as colorful as it is healthy and delicious. Furthermore, it’s lightning-fast to make — just 30 minutes from start to finish. Hungry? This beautiful brew will satisfy your soul:
Click the “play” arrow above to watch the soup come together right before your eyes. Then scroll down for culinary notes and the printable recipe:
Recipe Notes for Tuscan Bean Soup
To vegan-ize the soup, simply substitute vegetable broth for the chicken stock in the recipe.
A note for wine lovers. Replace up to 50% of the chicken (or vegetable) stock with dry white wine.
Can’t find cannellini beans at your market? Use Northern beans or Navy beans.
A note for the “I-never-use-canned-beans” crowd. Go ahead of cook your own beans from dried.
And here, as promised, is the printable recipe:
Tuscan Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, roughly diced
- 2-3 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 medium carrots, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, roughly diced
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 2 15.5 ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Baby arugula leaves -- about 4 cups
- Optional for serving: A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a scattering of shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a 4-quart soup pot or Dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the onion, celery, carrots, and salt. Then lower the heat, cover the pot, and let the vegetables sweat until the carrots are fairly tender -- about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, black pepper, cannellini beans, stock, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then lower the heat, partially cover the pot, and let simmer quietly for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Add the arugula leaves, and stir just until the leaves wilt -- about 30 seconds. Taste carefully for seasonings, adding more salt and/or pepper if desired.
- To serve: Give each serving a drizzle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil and a scattering of shredded Parmesan cheese.
Lisa says
Would like to add meat what would you suggest- ham or sausage or ground pork or???
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Lisa – Italian sausage would be nice here (ditto for the other meats you mentioned).
Raine D. says
Perfect timing, Kevin! Neither Himself nor I are big bean eaters but I “inherited” 2 large cans of cannellini beans when friends moved a couple of weeks ago, then I was given a gigantic pile of baby spinach (& fresh basil) from other friends whose greenhouse garden has gone mad as the weather warms up. I also have a tub of home-made veggie stock in the freezer I need to use up. So, Tuscan bean soup it is this weekend (w/ spinach instead of arugula). Like Lisa, I’ll be adding Italian sausage (also needing to be used as part of my annual spring freezer clean-out): while the soup is doing its thing I’ll cook the sausages, then cut them into chunks, put the chunks into the bowls & spoon hot soup over them, garnish with chopped fresh basil & serve with toasted baquette slices rubbed with olive oil & crushed garlic . . . ! Thank you for the inspiration.
Raine D. says
Oh, Kevin — you mention in passing that the celery you used had been frozen & my ears perked up as I’ve never in my life frozen celery, nor did I think it was even possible! Do you blanch it? I’m off to check with Mr. Google but would love to know how YOU do it. I find the celery I buy often goes bad before I use it up, which annoys the daylights out of me, so knowing how to freeze it would be wonderful.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Raine – What luck that you have the soup ingredients already on hand! I blanche and freeze celery this way:
1. Put the cut up stalks in boiling water for 3 minutes
2. Chill in ice water for 3 minutes
3. Lay out in a single layer on a tea towel-lined baking sheet
4. Blot dry with a tea towel
5. Freeze on the baking sheet.
When the celery is solidly frozen, I transfer it to freezer bags. Hope this was helpful to you!
Karen says
If I add corn, will that be too much? I love your site!!
Kim Miller says
Thank you Kevin for your celery freezing tip. I just love your site. I dried my fresh parsley after watching your video. Perfect and remained bright green. Also I have ordered the pot holders and measuring spoons from Vermont Kitchen Store. Thank you for your many tips. You have made me a better cook. I’m going to make this soup today
Raine D. says
Thanks so much for the instructions on freezing celery. How have I lived this long not knowing this?? I wonder if one can dice, blanch & freeze diced onion & carrot along with the celery to make up small containers of frozen mirepoix? Sounds like the height of laziness & will undoubtedly horrify the purists — it doesn’t take much time to chop up the veg, let’s be honest — but it would be handy on crazy busy days to just be able to heat up some oil & dump in a generous handful of pre-chopped mirepoix & let it do its thing while you prepare the rest of the dish. I may have to test this . . . 🙂
arj says
Wonderful! I liked that there weren’t too many ingredients or instructions, so I decided to make it for lunch today. I only had one can of beans so cut the recipe in half (perfect for my family of 3), and didn’t have arugula in the house, so added a handful of finely-chopped kale instead (added it with the broth and beans). Even my husband who says “I’m not really a soup guy” said “This is good!” 🙂 Thanks for an easy and delicious recipe, prefect for a snow Minnesota day.
Lynn says
I Sautee 4 Oz. of finely diced CHORIZO before sautéing the veg. and add a glug of dry sherry. Delicioso!
Ruby Stevens says
I just love your site. Thank you so much. So many great tips. I have a leg problem and cannot stand long and your tips are amazing for short cuts. Don’t ever go away..
Margaret says
Totally wonderful! Had kidney beans, and spinach. Added small sweet potato. You are my favorite source for good eats. Thanks much-ly!
Katherine Rossmoore says
HI Kevin,
Love your website and recipes. I just made the soup, substituting baby spinach for the arugula because my husband doesn’t care for arugula.
I cooked a bag of raw beans in the insta Pot: so easy if I think of it in advance!
Thank you for this and I want to try th ciabatta and the chocolate cake!
Toni O'Brien says
This is a “gotta make” soup. I love soups. Thank you for this.
Now, Kevin, you have to change your recipe from 2-3 stalks of celery to 2-3 ribs of celery. 🙂
BTW, my new young geraniums are starting to shoot blossoms already!! More smiles and more thank yous.
arj says
Excellent recipe with very clear and easy-to-follow instructions. I didn’t have arugula on hand, so I added very-well chopped kale in step two so it could cook down. The flavor overall is fantastic, and the best part was how simple and fuss free it was to make. Only thing, next time I’ll eliminate the extra salt because between the broth and canned beans, it didn’t need extra (plus we topped ours with parmesan and nutritional yeast). Thanks for another great recipe, Kevin. Cheers!
Cathy says
I made this with tomatoes instead of carrots – also delicious and colorful
Michele says
Hi Kevin, I have to tell you that I love your videos. I anxiously wait each week for your new recipe. I made the Tuscon bean soup last night for dinner except I used spinich instead of arugula. It was delicious. Today I put the left overs in a crock pot on low and am getting ready to have it for dinner again and as you said I’m sure it will be even better tonight. One problem I had was I did not have any Italian seasoning. So I used a bit of oregano and I had some fresh thyme. I’m sure it is Missing something but I did the best I could with what I had. What exactly is in Italian seasoning? I’m guessing that it is oregano, maybe marjoram and..? Keep up the great work. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!
Hey, how is – is it Binky ( the kitty you rescued) and your other cat- her name escapes me? I believe you also have a sweet dog. I am a professional pet sitter/ dog walker/ pet caregiver so I love the clips that include your animals.
Ps. I froze some celery and can’t wait to use it! Wishing you the best,
Michele Spencer
Judith Togher says
Just made this and it is great! I added some left over acorn squash some red pepper flakes and used spinach instead of arugula and it all turned out delish.
Thanks for this!
Jacqueline Bates says
Made this for some friends and it was a huge success! Delicious.
Vera Katz says
This was delicious! I followed the recipe exactly, including the drizzle of quality olive oil and Parmesan on top and served with crostini. I noticed some comments adding meat and I might try that next time, but it was delicious and satisfying without it. Thank you Kevin!