This Italian-inspired creamy White Bean Soup recipe is a hearty and satisfying chowder with white beans and vegetables. It's quick and easy enough to whip up on a weeknight!
Heat the oil in a 3-quart pot over medium-high heat; add the turkey bacon and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the onion, celery, carrot, and bell pepper and cook until starting to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium, stir in the garlic and thyme, and cook 2 minutes; stir in the flour and cook 2 minutes more.
Add the stock, tomato, tomato paste, bay leaf, oregano, salt, pepper, and beans, and bring to a boil; turn the heat down and simmer 15 minutes (uncovered). (Mash a few of the beans against the side of the pot if you want a thicker soup.)
Turn the heat off and stir in the cream and parsley.
Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired; serve.
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Notes
Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes about 5 ½ cups of soup; there are 4 servings and each serving is about 1 ⅓ 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 or beef bacon, omit the olive oil.
Cannellini Beans Substitute: If you don't have cannellini beans, you can use a can of any type of white beans (rinse and drain it!).
Vegan Version: Omit the turkey bacon and add ⅛ 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 ½ cup of the beans to give the soup a creamy texture.
Meal Prep: This recipe is a good one to meal prep. Whip up a double batch of this Italian White Bean Soup on the weekend and have it for dinner, and then save the leftovers for weekday lunches.
Freezer-Friendly: Portion this soup out into individual servings and freeze for a quick meal!