Tuscan White Bean Soup

This Tuscan white bean soup is rich, comforting, and full of cozy flavor, making it ideal for cooler days. Tender white beans, hearty farro, and fragrant herbs come together in a creamy, satisfying bowl that’s simple to prepare and wonderful to share around the table.

I’ve been tinkering with this soup for years, and over time, this Tuscan white bean soup has slowly evolved into the creamy, flavorful version you see here.

Originally, my memory of the soup didn’t include fresh herbs, and I never blended the base before adding the grain. It also didn’t have farro. Each of those small changes made a big difference, and the result is a soup that’s richer, more balanced, and deeply comforting.

Why I love farro in soups

Farro adds heartiness and texture: Farro has a pleasant, chewy texture that makes the soup feel more substantial, giving each spoonful a satisfying bite. Unlike softer grains, it holds up well during cooking without becoming mushy, adding a layer of texture that contrasts nicely with the creamy blended beans.

Boosts the nutritional value: Farro is packed with fiber, protein, and essential minerals like magnesium and iron. Including farro in this soup not only makes it more filling but also adds a nutritional boost, making it a well-rounded meal.

Authentic Tuscan flavor: Farro is a traditional grain in Italian cooking, especially in Tuscan recipes, where it’s used in soups, salads, and stews. Adding it to this white bean soup brings an authentic touch and adds that nutty, earthy flavor that complements the beans and herbs perfectly.

Versatile for dietary preferences: As a whole grain, farro is a great option for those looking for plant-based, high-fiber, and heart-healthy ingredients. It’s naturally vegan and pairs beautifully with the flavors of rosemary, sage, and tomatoes in this Tuscan-style soup.

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Helpful tips

• If you don’t have an immersion blender, please get one. Nothing is worse than transferring your pan’s contents to a blender in batches to process it to the right creamy texture.
• Use fresh herbs as it does make a difference, especially in the taste of this dish. I use rosemary and sage, but other good choices are thyme, oregano, a few bay leaves, or marjoram.
• This dish usually uses borlotti beans (a.k.a cranberry beans and Roman beans), but since I can’t find them locally, good substitutions are great Northern beans or Cannellini beans. Some people also add white kidney beans or navy beans.
• I recommend petite diced tomatoes but regular diced tomatoes are also fine.
• The farro grain comes in many different types (pearled, Italian, etc.) and you could use any of them. I just don’t recommend instant or precooked because I don’t like those textures.
• My practice is to put the farro (or any grain/bean I’m cooking) in a sieve and rinse in a bowl cold water, swishing my hands through whatever I’m washing; empty bowl of water and repeat, twice at minimum, three times is a charm.
• Add some spinach, kale, or leeks for more vegetables in your soup.
• Want to make it vegetarian? Use vegetable broth instead of the chicken broth.
• Want to spice the soup up? Add some red pepper flakes. Either as the soup cooks or as garnish. Speaking of garnish, adding a sprinkling of parmesan cheese is a great option.

How to make this Tuscan white bean soup

Pre-step

Get a Dutch oven, large saucepan, or medium stockpot.

Step one

Gather an onion, carrots and celery. (A)

Step two

Cut the onion and carrots in small chunks. Slice the celery and chop the slices.

Step three

Heat a Dutch oven on medium heat. Once it has heated, add the extra-virgin olive oil.

Once that heats up (shimmers), add the vegetables. (B)

Step four

Sauté the veggies for 8 minutes and then add garlic paste or 2 cloves garlic, salt, pepper, and sauté for 2 minutes. (C)

Step five

Gather the rest of the ingredients – washed farro, fresh rosemary sprigs, sage leaves, petite diced tomatoes, Northern beans, and chicken broth. (D)

Step six

Drain and rinse the beans.

Add broth, rosemary, sage, tomatoes, and beans. (E) First, bring it to a boil, lower it to a simmer, and continue to cook for 10 minutes. (F)

Step seven

Remove rosemary and sage but don’t stress if you can’t remove it all.

Use your immersion blender and blend until some of the ingredients have smoothed out but you still have some whole beans and carrots.

Step eight

Add farro, stir, and simmer for 30 – 35 minutes.

Transfer the white bean soup into a serving bowl.

Ladle some soup into a few crocks and serve. I served this delicious soup with a salad.

It is one of our favorite bean soups! And I know it will be one of yours too if you try this Tuscan white bean soup recipe. The flavor is truly outstanding.

Storage and reheating

• Refrigerate any leftover soup in an airtight container and in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
• Warm on the stovetop over medium heat, adding a splash of broth if the soup has thickened.

Other soup recipes

• New England clam chowder
• Paella soup
• Italian wedding soup
• French onion soup
• Split pea
• Lentil
• squash stew

And as always, may all your dishes be delish.

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