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Easy Lemon Rosemary White Bean Soup

Easy White Bean Soup with soothing lemon, veggies, rosemary, thyme, and tahini is healthy and easy to make using everyday ingredients that you probably already have on hand! It’s full of nutrition and flavor and is – amazingly delicious!

top down view of easy white bean soup in a pot with wooden spoon.

Don’t let the minimal ingredients in this soup fool you, this vegan white bean soup is so full of deliciousness. Plus, it’s well-balanced, full of healthy protein & fiber, and can be made oil-free!

The hearty texture, subtle combination of flavors, and yummy creaminess from the tahini will leave you wanting more. It’s a perfect pantry-friendly soup that has it all!

This white bean soup is very similar to this highly-rated, fan-favorite Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup, which uses pasta, spinach, and dill. I simplified the recipe and changed the herbs, but it’s still just as delicious!

So without further ado, let’s make soup!

top down view of ingredients used to make healthy lemony white bean soup.

Ingredients You’ll Need

In this quick and easy recipe, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic are sauteed, then simmered with white beans, herbs, and tahini for a wholesome and healthy soup.

Here is everything you will need, plus ingredient variations:

  • White beans – cannellini or great northern beans are preferred, but chickpeas will work too. Even a combo is great!
  • Onion – brown or white
  • Carrots – I used 3 large carrots for extra heartiness
  • Celery – feel free to add in a few celery leaves as well
  • Garlic – sub with 1 teaspoon garlic paste or garlic powder
  • Thyme + rosemary – dried is fine, but fresh is great too
  • Tahini – adds a nice flavor and creaminess, sub with cashew butter (can be optional)
  • Vegetable broth – I used 1/2 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Veg Base (affiliate link) with water.
  • Lemon – use lemon for the soup and the other for squeezing into your serving bowl.
  • Salt + pepper – to taste
side by side photos showing the process of making easy white bean soup.

How To Make White Bean Soup

(Note – The full printable recipe is at the bottom of this post)

  • In a large pot, heat oil or water over medium heat, add onion, carrots, and celery, and saute for 7 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and rosemary, and cook for 1 minute more.
  • Add the white beans, vegetable broth, and salt + pepper.
side by side photos showing adding creamy tahini to white bean soup.
  • Give a good stir, add the tahini, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover askew, and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove from heat, add lemon juice, and let cool a bit before serving (shown below). The broth will thicken upon standing. Season with more salt, pepper, or herbs as desired.

And now all you have to do is enjoy this healthy, luscious soup!

Soup Tips

  • Add a few handfuls of spinach at the end of cooking, letting it wilt and soften, for extra color and nutrition.
  • The soup will thicken as it cools, that’s if you can wait that long!
  • To thicken the soup even more, or if not using tahini, mash some of the beans with the back of a spoon to add creaminess.
  • Leftovers are amazing and reheat well.

side angle view of easy white bean soup in a pot with wooden spoon.

How to Store and Reheat

Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored for 5 – 6 days in the refrigerator in a covered container.

Freezer: This white bean soup is freezer-friendly and freezes well for up to 2 – 3 months. To freeze, let cool completely and store in freezer-safe containers (affiliate link), leaving 1/2 inch head space for expansion. You can also freeze larger portions in large ziplock bags (remove as much air as possible before zip-locking). Let thaw before reheating.

Reheat: Simply re-warm on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through. Alternatively, reheat in the microwave using 30 – 60 second intervals, stirring after each, until warm.

Serving Suggestions

To soak up the juices, serve with homemade Artisan Bread, soft and chewy Vegan Naan, or gluten-free Socca flatbread. And, for a soup and salad duo, we recommend this easy House Salad.

top down view of bowl with serving of lemon white bean soup with spoon and items surrounding.

More Easy Soup Recipes!

side angle view of a bowl full of easy white bean soup with gold spoon.

If you try this white bean soup or have a question, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

Print

EASY LEMON ROSEMARY WHITE BEAN SOUP

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 57 reviews

Soothing and wholesome, this hearty white bean soup with lemon, herbs and veggies is healthy, full of flavor and a soup you’ll want to make again and again! Quick and easy recipe, ready in 30 minutes.

  • Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4 – 6 1x
  • Category: Soup, Entree
  • Method: simmer
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or 1/4 cup water
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 3 large carrots, sliced or diced
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon EACH dried thyme + rosemary
  • 3 cans (15oz) white beans (cannellini, great northern or chickpeas), drained and rinsed
  • 45 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoon tahini
  • 12 lemons, juice of 1
  • salt + pepper
  • fresh chopped parsley, to serve

Instructions

Saute: In a large pot, heat oil or water over medium heat, add onion, carrots, and celery, saute for 7 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook 1 minute more.

Simmer: Add the white beans, vegetable broth, tahini, and salt + pepper, give a good stir, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover askew, and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add lemon: Remove from heat, add lemon juice and let cool a bit before serving. The broth will thicken upon standing. Season with more salt, pepper or herbs as desired.

Serves 4 – 6

Serve in individual bowls with fresh parsley and squeeze of lemon. Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a little heat.

Pairs well with homemade Artisan Bread and side Classic House Salad.

Store: Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 – 6 days. For longer storage, keep in the freezer for up to 2 – 3 months. Let thaw before reheating.

Notes

Feel free to use fresh cooked beans, using about 4 1/2 cups. If cooking beans, 2 cups of dried beans, about 1 lb., will yield just the right amount for this soup.

For added color and nutrition, add a handful or two of baby spinach or kale to the soup towards the end of cooking.

For added creaminess, mashing some of the white beans with the back of a spoon will thicken the soup even more.

Instant Pot:

Saute: Use the saute function for 5 minutes; add the oil or water, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, and set the SAUTE function for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the last minute, add the herbs and continue to sauté. 

Cook: Add the beans and vegetable broth, put the lid on and turn to lock, toggle vent to the SEALED position, and manually set the pressure cooker to HIGH for 3 minutes. Let natural release for 10 – 15 minutes. If you do a quick release, be careful of the of the hot steam. 

Finish: Turn lid to unlock and remove. Add the tahini, lemon, salt and pepper to taste, and give a good stir. Soup will thicken as it cools.

You can also skip the saute and add everything to the pot, minus the tahini and lemon, and follow the ‘cook‘ directions.

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86 Comments

  1. This didn’t work for us. I think everything in it is good except the lemon. I also understand that when folks cook things they always turn out differently. The lemon was over powering. I think it would be really great with one can of beans and then add rice. If there was not lemon it would be have been much better. And this is coming from someone who likes lemon! Give it a try and see what you think. Just didn’t work for us but I do think the foundation is great!

  2. I need to make this and add it to the menu rotation.

  3. Thank you for creating something so delicious while also being super good for you! I’m gluten free and vegan and living the last year with Lyme disease I decided to jump start my health this year and cut out a whole bunch of other bad “stuff” which makes it hard to come by a healthy recipe that also tastes great and you hit it right on the bullseye with this one! Thank you even my meat and potatoes husband ate it (I may have added some chicken to his bowl to get him to try it) and it was a huge hit!






  4. 5 stars? Should be 5❤️s!!! That soup is so good!!!

    I made the oil-free version and am allergic to sesame seeds so I used sunbutter instead of tahini.

    Sooo delish!

    Oh, I used chickpeas! Mmmmm!!!!






  5. I love this soup. Have made it several times now. Yum!






  6. Love love lemon soups! My version, I never use carrots or celery simply because I do not like them cooked. So my stock is a whole lot of other Veggies. Leeks always, onions, kale, and spinach. Sometimes delicate squash. Fresh Rosemary. Easily 2 Meyer lemons and more after served. With a crunchy baguette, YUUMMMMMY!!!






  7. Mom and I both give this 5 stars and look forward to making it again! We sauteed the veggies in water rather than oil, tossed in an extra carrot and doubled the celery (we like our veggies). At the store I could not decide among the suggested white beans so why not one can of each? Honestly the lemon and rosemary are the stars of this recipe, and the rest is just a bonus. Overall this is a super quick, easy, and nutritious recipe!






  8. This was delicious! I added diced potatoes for a can of beans, as well as two bay leaves for the broth. If you take it easy on the lemon, adding a quarter at a time, you’ll hit that sweet spot. The tahini was a lovely touch especially. Thank you for such a great recipe!






  9. Yum! My boyfriend and I made this tonight and it was delicious :) we both commented on how “cozy” it was!






  10. I made this for a quick Thanksgiving meal for me and my boyfriend. The juice of 1 lemon is entirely too much, and neither of us could finish our meal. It tasted only of lemon. All the other ingredients got crowded out entirely, which is a shame because it’s a very aromatic and earthy soup. Only a splash of lemon would have been fine. I’m glad I made some corn bread or we would have gone hungry on Thanksgiving. It would have been the perfect meal if not for the lemon. :(

    1. Julie | The Simple Veganista says:

      I hope you get a chance to make the soup again with less lemon for your taste. Thanks for sharing, Morgan!

    2. Thanks for the comment – I will be making this for this 1st time and will start with less lemon juice then add more to taste :)

    3. I’ve made this recipe multiple times, and it always tastes great to me.






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