Spinach White Bean Soup (Printable Version)

A nourishing soup blending spinach, white beans, and fresh greens for a tasty, wholesome dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fresh Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 large leek (white and light green parts), sliced
05 - 3 celery stalks, sliced
06 - 2 cups broccoli florets
07 - 1 small zucchini, diced
08 - 5 cups fresh baby spinach
09 - 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
10 - 1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped

→ Legumes

11 - 1 can (15 ounces) white beans (cannellini or great northern), drained and rinsed

→ Liquids

12 - 4 cups vegetable broth, gluten-free
13 - 1 cup water

→ Seasonings

14 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
15 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
16 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
17 - Juice of 1/2 lemon

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, sliced leek, sliced celery, and minced garlic; sauté for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
02 - Add broccoli florets and diced zucchini to the pot; cook for 3 minutes while stirring occasionally.
03 - Add drained white beans, vegetable broth, water, dried thyme, sea salt, and ground black pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 12 minutes until vegetables are tender.
04 - Add fresh spinach, parsley leaves, and chopped chives. Simmer for 2 minutes until greens are wilted.
05 - Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth and creamy, or transfer in batches to a countertop blender.
06 - Stir in lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with additional fresh chives.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, which means you can have a homemade, nourishing soup on the table before dinner time stress kicks in.
  • The blended texture is so creamy and luxurious that nobody suspects it's just vegetables and beans doing all the heavy lifting.
  • One bowl genuinely fills you up without feeling heavy, and somehow it tastes even better the next day.
02 -
  • Don't skip the lemon juice at the very end—I learned this by making the soup twice without it and both times feeling like something essential was missing, only to realize I'd forgotten that bright finish.
  • If you blend the soup while it's still steaming hot, it can splatter unexpectedly, so either let it cool for a few minutes first or use the immersion blender approach and keep your hand steady and careful.
03 -
  • If your soup breaks and becomes grainy after blending, you likely overheated it; next time let it cool for five minutes before blending, or use the immersion blender method while the heat is off.
  • Taste constantly as you cook—this soup becomes what you season it to be, and there's no replacing that moment of adjusting it to exactly what you want.
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