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This Italian-inspired creamy white bean soup recipe is a hearty and satisfying chowder with cannellini beans, a ton of vegetables, and a little bit of bacon. It’s quick and easy enough to whip up on a weeknight, and great for meal prep!
Is this it?, I asked, bewilderedly looking out the car window at what could have been any dive in any sketchy area of any town.
With a nod, Mike assured me that this was in fact the place.
I was pretty excited though, not only because he had promised me several times that no matter what it looks like from the outside, I really would love this restaurant. But also because in my experience, restaurants that look shady on the outside often have the best food!
I like to think of them as best-kept secrets.
Mike was right; I had one of the best meals that night that I’d had in a while. The sea bass (always one of my favorites) was cooked to perfection, and the cannoli was perfectly crisp outside with a just-sweet-enough filling. But the highlight of my meal was definitely the soup I had to start the meal.
It was a creamy Italian white bean soup, full of vegetables and beans, with a hint of smoky flavor. It was the perfect thing to combat a chilly evening.
I’m sharing my version of that mind-blowingly delicious soup. With beans for protein and a variety of vegetables, this white bean chowder is hearty and flavorful. It’s creamy, thick, rich, and completely satisfying. And bonus, it’s very easy to make!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s quick and easy to make in just 45 minutes!
- This restaurant-quality chowder will make you think you’re in your favorite bistro.
- With beans as the main protein source, this is an economical meal.
- It’s freezer-friendly. This soup is perfect for portioning into individual servings and freezing so you can thaw it for a quick meal on a busy day!
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Olive oil РWe saut̩ the turkey bacon and then the vegetables in olive oil. This healthy fat helps create a rich base flavor. If you use beef bacon or pork bacon instead of turkey bacon, you can omit the oil.
- Onion, celery, carrot, and red bell pepper – This is the combination of veggies we use in this soup. If you like kale with white beans, go ahead and add up to 3 cups of chopped kale as well (and an extra splash of stock).
- Garlic and fresh thyme – These aromatics add tons of deep savory flavor.
- Flour – We use a little bit of all-purpose flour to help thicken the chowder. If you prefer, you can omit the flour and mash a few of the beans in the pot when the soup is done cooking.
- Vegetable stock – Or chicken stock for richer flavor.
- Tomato – Why not get in another veggie, right? The original soup I had contained small bits of tomato, so I add them to my recipe.
- Tomato paste – Tomato paste serves a few functions here: 1) it helps create a pretty blush color, 2) it lends depth of flavor, and 3) it also acts as a thickener, resulting in a velvety mouthfeel.
- Bay leaf, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper – These seasonings add complexity to this soup. It’s anything but bland!
- Canned cannellini beans – Rinse and drain your beans. You aren’t limited to cannellini beans here; feel free to add a can of any kind of white beans you like or have in your pantry.
- Heavy cream – For richness. You can skip the splash of cream at the end if you prefer, or use half and half instead.
- Fresh parsley – For a pop of bright green color and fresh flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here are step-by-step instructions; to watch me make this, please see the video in the recipe card below.
- Crisp the bacon. Heat the oil in a 3-quart pot over medium-high heat; add the turkey bacon and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Sauté the vegetables. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and bell pepper and cook until starting to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the aromatics and the flour. Turn the heat down to medium, stir in the garlic and thyme, and cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, stirring constantly.
- Simmer. Add the stock, tomato, tomato paste, bay leaf, oregano, salt, pepper, and beans, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down slightly and simmer 15 minutes uncovered. (TIP: When it’s done simmering, you can mash a few of the beans against the side of the pot if you want a thicker soup.)
- Finishing touches. Turn the heat off and stir in the cream and parsley.
- Serve. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired; serve.
Storage
Cool to room temperature, and then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Recipe Variations
Vegan White Bean Soup
- Omit the turkey bacon and instead dd 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika to give it a smoky complexity.
- Use canned full-fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream.
- Optional: Take it a step further and make vegan white bean corn chowder by adding one 15-ounce can of corn, drained or 2 cups of frozen corn, thawed and drained.
Gluten Free White Bean Soup
- Omit the flour.
- Make sure the vegetable stock you use is gluten free.
- When the soup is done cooking, mash about 1/2 cup of the beans to give the soup a creamy texture.
White Bean Clam Chowder
To make white bean clam chowder, you can either:
- Add a can of rinsed, drained white beans to your favorite clam chowder, or
- Add clams to this creamy soup. If you want to add clams to this recipe, you can either use raw shucked clams or clams in the shell. Simmer raw shucked clams for about 5 minutes in this chowder. For clams in the shell, steam them in a separate pot, and then add the steamed open clams in their shells to this chowder.
White Bean Soup With Chicken
To make white bean soup with chicken, you can either:
- Sauté 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (trimmed of visible fat and cut into bite-sized pieces) along with the bacon, or
- Stir in 2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken at the end.
Tips For the Best White Bean Soup Recipe
- This recipe is great for meal prep. Whip up a double batch on the weekend and have it for dinner, and then save the leftovers for weekday lunches.
- Instead of turkey bacon, you can use any type of bacon you like. Beef bacon is my personal favorite. If you use pork bacon or beef bacon, omit the olive oil.
- If you don’t have cannellini beans, you can use one 15-ounce can of any type of white beans (rinsed and drained).
- This soup is easy to make gluten free. To do so, omit the flour and mash about 1/2 cup of the beans into the soup to give it a creamy texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
We use a few different thickeners in this recipe: a little flour, a touch of tomato paste, cannellini beans, and a splash of heavy cream. You can omit the flour and this soup will be thick enough because of all the other thickeners we use. (TIP: When it’s done cooking, you can use a potato masher to mash a few of the beans into the soup to thicken it even more.)
Cannellini beans and white beans aren’t the same thing. Cannellini beans, which are also called white kidney beans, are a type of white bean, but there are lots of other distinct white bean varietals. Other kinds of white beans include great northern beans and navy beans.
What Should I Serve With This Chowder?
This soup is filling on its own, so don’t feel like you have to serve it with something. However, if you want to stretch it or just like a little variety in your meal, the sky is the limit when it comes to delicious things to pair with this! Here are a few ideas:
- Keep it simple with store-bought crusty bread or crackers.
- Homemade crackers, such as sourdough discard crackers or gluten-free low-carb crackers.
- Take a few minutes to whip up homemade garlic bread.
- Bake up a loaf of rosemary-onion quick bread, savory thyme and swiss cheese scones, no-knead artisan bread, or caraway seed sourdough rye if you keep starter on hand.
- Make your favorite grilled cheese (try spinach mozzarella grilled cheese with this, it tastes like white pizza).
- Serve up this soup with big green salad like creamy poppy seed kale slaw with red pear, toasted pepitas, and golden raisins or Tuscan kale white bean salad.
More Delicious Creamy Soup Recipes to Try
- Weeknight Creamy Sausage and Spinach Soup
- Potato Leek Soup
- Cheesy Tomato-Basil Chowder
- Instant Pot Creamy Tortellini Soup
- Buffalo Chicken Chowder
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White Bean Soup Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 slices turkey bacon minced (or any kind of bacon you like; see Notes)
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 1 medium stalk celery finely diced
- 1 medium carrot finely diced
- 1/4 of a medium-large red bell pepper finely diced
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh minced thyme leaves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock if you prefer)
- 1 small tomato finely diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 15 ounce can of cannellini beans rinsed and drained
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Crisp the bacon. Heat the oil in a 3-quart pot over medium-high heat; add the turkey bacon and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Sauté the vegetables. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and bell pepper and cook until starting to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the aromatics and the flour. Turn the heat down to medium, stir in the garlic and thyme, and cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, stirring constantly.
- Simmer. Add the stock, tomato, tomato paste, bay leaf, oregano, salt, pepper, and beans, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down slightly and simmer 15 minutes uncovered. (TIP: When it's done simmering, you can mash a few of the beans against the side of the pot if you want a thicker soup.)
- Finishing touches. Turn the heat off and stir in the cream and parsley.
- Serve. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired; serve.
Video
Notes
- Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes about 5 1/2 cups of soup; there are 4 servings and each serving is about 1 1/3 cups.
- Turkey Bacon Substitute: Instead of turkey bacon, you can use any type of bacon you like. Beef bacon is my personal favorite. If you use pork bacon or beef bacon, omit the olive oil.
- Cannellini Beans Substitute:Â If you don’t have cannellini beans, you can use one 15-ounce can of any type of white beans (rinsed and drained).
- Vegan Version: Omit the turkey bacon and add 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika to give it a smoky complexity, and use canned full-fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream.
- Gluten Free Version: Omit the flour and make sure the vegetable stock you use is gluten free. Mash about 1/2 cup of the beans into the soup to give it a creamy texture.
- Storage: Cool to room temperature, and then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Meal Prep: This recipe is a good one to meal prep. Whip up a double batch on the weekend and have it for dinner, and then save the leftovers for weekday lunches (or freeze for later!).
- Freezer-Friendly: Portion this soup out into individual freezer-safe containers and freeze. This way, you can thaw as many servings as you need for a quick meal.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
Share it with me on Instagram and leave a comment to let me know your thoughts!
This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on March 15, 2012 and updated on September 11, 2026.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Free Bonus
Fragrant, colorful, taste bud pleasing bowl of deleciousness.
Absolutely delicious!!!
I used 4 slices regular pork bacon
Left out the onion because my husband is allergic
Opted for chicken broth because, onions
I accidentally opened a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes and used 3/4 cup – and I’m so glad I did
This soup had a great bacony flavor and was delicious left over as well, it’s going to be one of my regular soups
this soup is really good and so easy to make. I just made one change and that was not put the bacon in it. I’m a no meat in the soup kind of person. Had some garlic toast along with it. Thanks for the recipe
This was excellent! Thank you for the recipe! 💕💕💕
This soup is delicious! I just made it today without tomato, but using the tomato paste, heavy cream, and 1 tsp. of a spice seasoning mix from my pantry with similar ingredients. Already I’m snacking from the pot – I can’t wait for dinner. Another can of beans or a small diced potato and fresh spinach would also work. Love it! Will make it again throughout the coming winter.
I didn’t have heavy cream so I used a few tablespoons of cream cheese. I also didn’t have bacon but had left over grilled apple chicken sausages. Sounds weird but the sweet and savory of the sausage actually worked! If you like heat throw in some red pepper chili flakes too! (We love a kick!) I love how versatile this recipe is. Definitely a saver!
Do you think this soup would be ok with canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh?
Shelby, I think canned diced tomatoes would be great here! If you want to keep the amount about the same, use 1/2 cup of canned diced tomatoes.
Awesome soup, looked just like yours. I used Italian sausage.
That soup was too good. It was just the best supper with grilled sourdough bread dipped in the soup…..HEAVEN!!!! I used Pancetta & and a bit of Passata instead of the tomato because that’s what I had. Thank you. I will make that soup very often.
Easy and yummy, but as with all soup recipes, I have to double or triple it! 😊 Thanks.
Very good! I will definitely keep this recipe.
I just made this and it was yummy. I made a couple adjustments. I doubled the recipe to use all the veg. I used pancetta. I used equal parts oil and butter. I let all ingredients cook together on low for an hour. It developed a nice fond for extra flavor. I doubled up on the cream and added more until I got the color I wanted. Will def make this again!
I made your White Bean Soup tonight and it’s great! However, mine is red and your picture makes it look white or clear broth . I used just one small tomato and the one TBS of tomato paste as the recipe called for, and it’s tomato looking. Maybe I should leave out the tomato paste?
Geri, I’m so happy you enjoyed this soup! The soup was a pinkish color for me, as seen in the pictures. The 1 tablespoon tomato paste and 1 small tomato gave it a light pink color, but definitely not red. It’s up to you if you want to omit the tomato products for a lighter color. I think it would be delicious either way! :)
The flavor is delicious! I omitted the tomatoes and tripled the recipe to make a large pot and leftovers. It took more time than I thought to make. I work full time so I won’t be making this on a weeknight, but no problem on the weekend!
I make this soup bi-weekly at least! It is so delicious!!
Easy and delicious! I didn’t have turkey bacon ( or ANY bacon, for that matter) so I finely chopped leftover baked ham and it worked out beautifully! I served it with rosemary and olive oil baked bread from the supermarket bakery and my whole family ( including my super picky son) loved it! It’s a keeper.
I have made this many times and my family loves it. I have some kale from my garden and I’m going to add it at the end of the simmer stage and just let it wilt. We love soup recipes with kale so I assume this will work also. I’ll post more after we try it.
Excellent soup. Easy to make
Great recipe. I used the smoked paprika instead of the turkey bacon and it tasted great. For my non-vegetarians I cooked a few pieces of bacon on the side as a option to crumble on top…that was good also. I also added corn and a hint of tarragon.
This was really good! I added more veggies and doubled the beans.
This looks divine. Will be making this soon!!
I can’t wait to make the white bean soup thank you for letting me try to download this
I had some friends coming over. There was already some boiled black eyed beans in the fridge. I woke up wanting to have something warm since it’s been raining here. Looked up a chowder recipe which uses beans, and reached here. It was an absolute hit with the hungry junta. I made a few alterations using things I had at hand. I didn’t have parsley, so used oregano and added in 2 tsp of the fajita mix I had. It gave the chowder a lovely mildly spicy flavour. Instead of red onion I threw in the spring onions lying in the fridge. This recipe is so so flexible and yields a delightfully tasty chowder.
This was really good. I didn’t add the cream. Next time I’ll skip the oregano.
This is the best creamy soup ever! I used light red kidney beans that I on hand, my family raved how goid it was!
This is a phenomenal soup! It has a ton of deep flavor and was perfect for a chilly night and served with rosemary focaccia. I’m so glad I made a double batch so I can enjoy leftovers this week!
This chowder is fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
Elizabeth, I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thanks so much for letting me know!
Made this for dinner tonight, it was delicious. I had to use regular bacon since I didn’t have any turkey bacon. Will definitely make this again.
Can I please have the fat description and calories included. Have to add it to my Weight watchers points.
Made it tonight very taste, but my veggies weren’t cooked through well. Gotta boil it a little longer next time. But luv it. Tasty!
Thank you.
Cynthia, Thanks so much for your comment, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the soup! I just added the nutrition information for this recipe. Also, regarding the veggies not being cooked, be sure to finely dice them like the recipe says and also like it says, be sure to saute them first until starting to soften. I hope this helps!
I tried this recipe and found it to be a regular on the soup rotation. Really great tasting and fairly simple.
Thanks for the recipe
Mary
That chowder looks absolutely delicious , really.
Looks delicious! It’s always so nice to be surprises by a fantastic restaurant when it doesn’t look like anything special from the outside.
Yum, this looks and sounds delicious.
I love little spots like that :) And your chowder looks fantastic!
I use turkey bacon in my seafood chowders all the time…and this recipe of yours would be right up my alley. Bring on more legumes to my table any time ;o)
Flavourful wishes,
Claudia
The chowder looks so comforting and delectable!
i love a hearty chowder, and i love even more the fact that there’s a reasonable amount of cream in this one!
This looks perfect for our cool rainy weekend in New Jersey. Thanks,Faith.
I’m not usually a fan of beans, but this soup looks so comforting and delicious, I NEED to try it!
This looks so delicious. I love white bean soup especially on a cold night. I can’t wait to try this!
I love those best kept secrets! And love that this one led you to share aother fabulous recipe with us.
Oh how lovely. :-) I’m in Washington today and it’s been raining and hailing and blowing up a gale. This soup would be heavenly. :-)
Have been longing for making a creamy chowder..yours look scrumptious, Faith! Your experience of that restaurant seems something similar to mine..I know the next time I pass through it, will certainly check in..
I always tell me kids the same thing, not to judge a restaurant from the way it looks outside. So nice to see the chowder you recreated at home.
Your chowder looks hearty and delicious Faith! Great recreation. That’s been my experience too! There’s a great family run Italian restaurant inside a run-down shack that I must of passed 1,000’s of times in my life afraid to go in. Big mistake. Now I know.
We are expecting heavy rains in the next few days, and this soup would be perfect to enjoy during our indoor time.
MImi
Just found your blog! Lovely! I also just pinned this recipe – my kind of food. I am your newest follower!
I agree that those are often some of the best restaurants. Your soup looks delicious, too! Also, I have an award waiting for you on my blog.
This bean soup looks so delicious, Faith. I love the colorfulness of it, and the ingredients you used. Hearty, comforting and I bet very flavorful. Thanks for sharing!
This seriously looks incredible! I’ve been craving some kind of creamy chowder for a while now. I do like clam chowder, except the clams are my least favorite part if that makes any sense, lol. This looks perfect for me – I’ll be trying it soon!
The chowder looks amazing! I think you’re 100% correct–often the best food comes from the shadiest looking (from the outside) places… We have a few of those secret gems to go to too…
Loving that list of ingredients and it looks super tasty. Sounded a wonderful restaurant. I went to a Michelin place last weekend and the paint was off the walls outside, pretty run down looking but inside…. Whoah. I’m just name-dropping since hubby doesn’t take me out often, Lol. Great you discovered this chowder to share with us!
This is going on my to-make-soon list. Love everything about it. :)
Bean chowder? This sounds great!!
LOL! I have the same opinion on “shady” looking restaurants. They’re almost always the best. I actually look for shadiness for good food, lol! This looks delicious, Faith!
So true about hole in the wall restaurants! This looks yummy – I love chowder so much. We spent a lone week in coastal Maine a few years ago and I think I stopped at almost every chowder stand to “taste” how theirs compared. lol!
WHat a gorgeous chowder! It sounds super delicious, very flavorful.
Agreed! Some of my favorite restaurants in Charleston are total dives. The soup looks absolutely perfect. White beans are so darn comforting
It may be getting warmer here but I’m somehow still craving thick delicious chowders…I can definitely see why this was such a memorable part of your meal! Looks amazing!
it looks so comforting and tasty! A great idea.
Cheers,
Rosa
I just made your soup and it is amazing! Will definitely make again. Thanks for sharing!
Joan