Creamy Tuscan White Bean Soup (Printable)

Velvety Italian soup with white beans, pancetta, sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, and cream in 50 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 3.5 oz pancetta, diced

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 2 celery stalks, finely diced
05 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
06 - 2.6 oz sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
07 - 2 cans (14 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
08 - 1 bay leaf

→ Liquids

09 - 27 fl oz low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 4 fl oz heavy cream

→ Seasonings

11 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs or mixed oregano, basil, and thyme
12 - 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
13 - Salt to taste
14 - Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

→ Garnishes

15 - 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
16 - Fresh basil or parsley leaves, chopped, optional
17 - Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

# How To:

01 - In a large soup pot over medium heat, cook diced pancetta until golden and crispy, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
02 - In the rendered pancetta fat, sauté onion, celery, and carrot until softened, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and Italian herbs, cooking for another minute to develop flavor.
04 - Add cannellini beans, chicken broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
05 - Remove bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to blend soup until smooth, or leave it slightly chunky according to preference.
06 - Stir in heavy cream and half of reserved pancetta. Simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top with remaining pancetta, olive oil drizzle, grated Parmesan, and fresh herbs if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour but tastes like you've been simmering it all day.
  • The pancetta fat is your secret weapon—it makes every other ingredient taste like the best version of itself.
  • You can make it vegetarian without losing any of that luxurious, velvety richness.
02 -
  • Don't blend all of it—keeping some beans whole gives you texture that reminds you this is real food, not velvet.
  • The cream goes in at the end because it needs just those 5 minutes to marry with everything else; too long and it can separate if your heat is too high.
03 -
  • Make it the day before and reheat gently—the flavors actually deepen overnight, and you'll get an even better bowl the second time.
  • Don't rush the pancetta cooking; slow and low means crispy edges and golden fat instead of burnt and bitter.
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