White Bean Spinach Soup (Vegan)

Name: White Bean Spinach Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 tbsp vegan butter (or olive oil); 1 yellow onion, diced (~1 1/2 cups); 2 tsp finely minced garlic (1-2 large cloves); 1 1/2 cups celery, diced; 1 1/2 tsp Herbs de Provence*; 1-1 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4-1/2 tsp pepper; 8 cups vegetable broth; Half of a lemon, juiced (~2 tbsp); 1 cup pasta of choice (shells, macaroni, farfalle, etc); 1 15 oz can Great Northern beans*, rinsed and drained; 4 cups spinach; 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely minced; Optional: vegan parmesan for garnish

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This comforting, simple vegan White Bean Spinach Soup comes together in just 30 minutes! It's so easy to make, packed with plant-based protein and fiber, and tastes great as leftovers the next day. This is the easiest vegan soup to add to your meal plan this winter!

overhead view of white bean spinach soup topped with vegan parmesan in black soup bowl.

Why we love this recipe

SO easy to make. Seriously, I'm pretty sure a ten-year old could handle this recipe. You basically just add everything to a pot and let it all come together!
Vegan and gluten free friendly. Packed with plant protein-rich white beans and vegetable broth. It's super easy to make gluten free with GF pasta.
Freezer-friendly and fantastic as leftovers.
Kid-friendly! The perfect soup to get your kids to eat more veggies and fiber without them noticing.

close up view of white bean spinach pasta soup in a black bowl.

Video Tutorial

Ingredient Notes

overhead view of ingredients for white bean spinach soup with text labels.

White beans: Technically, white beans could refer to four different varieties of beans, including cannellini, Great Northern, navy and baby lima beans. Any of the four will taste good in this soup, but we typically use either Great Northern (which hold up better in soups and stews) or cannellini.
Feel free to sub vegan butter with olive oil.
You can swap spinach with kale or swiss chard if desired.
We always prefer freshly squeezed lemon juice in our recipes. you can really taste the difference between fresh and bottled!
Herbs de Provence: this is an herb blend typically containing thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano and bay leaf. You can sub 1:1 with an Italian seasoning blend, or make your own blend with any of the above ingredients.
Feel free to use any variety of pasta, including gluten free pasta or a legume-based pasta (we used chickpea pasta here).

Instructions

This vegan white bean spinach soup comes together in just a few simple steps!

Step 1: Sauté vegetables

Melt the vegan butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and celery and continue cooking for 5 minutes until softened.

Step 2: Add seasonings, pasta and broth

Stir in the herbs de Provence, salt and pepper. Add in the uncooked pasta, the lemon juice and the vegetable broth.

Step 3: Let simmer

Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until just before the pasta is al dente (about 8 minutes).

Step 4: Add beans, spinach and parsley

The last step is to add in the white beans, fresh parsley and spinach. Stir well and simmer on low until the spinach wilts (about 5-10 minutes).

overhead view of a large pot of white bean spinach pasta soup.

close up view of person holding ladle of white bean spinach soup above soup pot.

Expert Tips and FAQs

Storage: let soup cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 5 days. Reheat in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Freezer storage: Let the soup cool completely before transferring to an airtight, freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 6 months. To reheat, defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then heat over medium in a saucepan.

overhead view of 2 bowls of white bean spinach soup topped with vegan parmesan and parsley.

When should I add spinach to a soup?

As a general rule of thumb, it's best to wait to add spinach until about 10 minutes before serving. This gives spinach plenty of time to wilt and soak up some flavor without getting too soggy.

What other vegetables can you add to white bean soup?

If you really want to load this soup up with veggies, feel free to add in any of the following: carrot, leeks, potato, zucchini, green beans, etc.

This soup would also be delicious with a drizzle of homemade pesto or herb oil on top!

What's the difference between Great Northern white beans and cannellini beans?

Great Northern beans are medium-sized and relatively firm. Cannellini beans are slightly larger and have a very tender flesh. Both hold up well in soups and stews, but when using canned, we typically wait to add until the end so they don't get mushy.

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Karen

January 28, 2022 at 4:42 pm

This was so tasty. We tried Manchego cheese in it since we were out of fresh Parmesan cheese. It was a whole new soup when we did that. I love this recipe! Since I didn’t know when to put the pasta in I ended up adding the cooked pasta when I did the spinach.

★★★★★

White Bean Spinach Soup

Why we love this recipe

Video Tutorial

Ingredient Notes