Best 5 Cheesy White Bean Soup Recipes

THE BEST WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic, beans, tomato paste, potatoes, rosemary (whole sprig, chopped, or dried, whatever it's easier for you) and paprika (if you use it). Cook stirring frequently, about 1 minute.
• Add the wine, stir well and let it simmer until it has evaporated, cooking for another minute.
• Then add the frozen spinach, the vegetable broth and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the pot, reduce heat and cook gently for 15 minutes.
• When the potatoes are soft and the soup is thick and creamy, remove the pot from heat, then remove the sprig rosemary*. Taste and season with salt and pepper. (I usually add a pinch of salt at the beginning + 1/2 tsp later. You might need more salt, depending on your vegetable broth and on your personal preferences.)*
• Divide into bowls, drizzle with olive oil or extra virgin olive oil, and more freshly ground black pepper if you like. Serve with crusty whole grain bread and, if you don't keep it vegan, add freshly grated parmesan cheese for extra flavor. Enjoy!

CHEESY WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Place beans in large saucepot. Add enough water to cover beans by a few inches. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Simmer on medium-low heat 30 min. or until beans until tender. Let beans cool in their cooking liquid; drain. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 400°F. Cut off and discard top third of garlic bulb; drizzle with 1/2 tsp. oil. Wrap loosely in foil; place on baking sheet. Bake 40 min. or until tender. Cool completely. Squeeze garlic pulp from bulb; set aside.
• Heat remaining oil in large stockpot on medium-high heat. Add onions; cook and stir 8 to 10 min. or until tender. Add beans, garlic pulp and broth; stir until blended. Bring to boil. Simmer on medium-low heat 15 min.
• Process soup, in batches, in blender until smooth. Return to pot. Add cheese; cook on medium heat until cheese is melted and soup is heated through, stirring constantly.

PARMESAN WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH HEARTY GREENS

Steps:

• To make the Parmesan broth: In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Add the garlic, cut-sides down, and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Parmesan rinds, lemon rinds, thyme and 8 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the broth tastes full and rich and is reduced by half, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (You will have about 4 cups of broth.) Reserve half the garlic and half the lemon rinds, then strain the broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Once cool, the broth will keep for 1 week refrigerated or 3 months in the freezer. If freezing, leave a bit of space between the broth and the lid of the container, as the broth will expand.)
• To make the soup: Squeeze the garlic cloves to release them from the reserved head. Finely chop the reserved lemon rind. In a large pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low. Add the garlic cloves and the red-pepper flakes and cook, breaking up the garlic with your spoon, just until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Increase the heat to medium, add the greens and 1/4 teaspoon of the chopped lemon rind and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the greens are wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the beans and all of the Parmesan broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the greens are silky and the beans and broth are warmed through, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and taste. Stir in lemon juice and additional lemon rind to taste. (You will not use all the lemon.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with black pepper and grated Parmesan on top.

10-MINUTE WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH TOASTED CHEESE AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Position a rack about 4 inches from the broiler heat source, and preheat. Bring the wine, rosemary, thyme and 2 cups of the chicken broth to a boil in a covered medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce to a bare simmer.
• Puree the beans, shallots, garlic, oil, butter, remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of pepper and 1/2 cup of the simmering broth in a blender until completely smooth and emulsified, about 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, lay the bread slices on a rimmed baking sheet, and top evenly with the mozzarella. Broil until the tops are browned and bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes; remove from the oven. Divide the tomatoes evenly among the toasts, and top with the Parmesan.
• Remove the herb sprigs from the simmering broth; set aside. Whisk the bean puree into the broth, and return it to a gentle boil. Ladle the soup into bowls, and garnish with the reserved herb sprigs and a few grinds of black pepper. Serve with the cheese toasts.

CHEESY WHITE BEAN-TOMATO BAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 475 degrees. In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Fry the garlic until it's lightly golden, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste (be careful of splattering) and fry for 30 seconds, reducing the heat as needed to prevent the garlic from burning.
• Add the beans, water and generous pinches of salt and pepper and stir to combine. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top, then bake until the cheese has melted and browned in spots, 5 to 10 minutes. If the top is not as toasted as you'd like, run the skillet under the broiler for a minute or 2. Serve at once.