January 26, 2015
Spinach and White Bean Soup
A healthy and hearty, comforting soup – chock full of fresh spinach, white beans and orzo pasta – made in less than 30 min!
It’s been quite warm here in Southern California – so warm that I’m still walking around in my flip flops. And a t-shirt. But that still didn’t stop me from devouring this entire pot of soup.
It’s just such an amazingly cozy soup, loaded with wilted baby spinach, white beans, and my favorite orzo pasta. And to top it off, I threw in some freshly squeezed lemon juice for that refreshing hit of goodness.
Now this is completely meatless but some andouille sausage or even crumbled Italian sausage would go beautifully in this soup. Either way, rain or shine, you’ll want a piping hot bowl of this soup all year long!
Spinach and White Bean Soup
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
A healthy and hearty, comforting soup – chock full of fresh spinach, white beans and orzo pasta – made in less than 30 min!
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in thyme and basil until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in vegetable stock, bay leaves and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Stir in orzo; reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender, about 10-12 minutes.
- Stir in spinach and cannellini beans until the spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately.
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Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
Servings Per Container 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories 231.8
Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4.0g
6%
Saturated Fat 0.8g
4%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 207.9mg
9%
Total Carbohydrate 38.7g
13%
Dietary Fiber 6.3g
25%
Sugars 2.3g
Protein 11.8g
24%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
This looks like a hearty soup. I love that it can be ready so quickly.
I make this often during cold weather. Sometime with spinach and sometime with kale. Walmart sells a mayocoba bean (it’s whitish-yellowish) that I like to use but most often cannellini beans. Whatever white bean or greens, it’s always delicious!!!! The only difference in my recipe and this one is the lemon juice. I’m not real fond of using that so usually don’t.
It’s been super warm here too for some reason…in Kansas..which is totally weird as it’s usually FREEZING this time of year. Regardless of the temperature, I could still down a bowl of soup in a heartbeat, and this one looks fantastic!
I’m craving a warm and comforting meal, this soup is perfection!
Mmm this veggie soup sounds delightful 😀 The thyme and bay leaves always give dishes such a distinctly awesome flavour 😀 Thanks for the recipe 😀 x
PS so jealous of your good weather! Although it is pretty mild here in Scotland at the moment, it’s not quiiiite flip-flop weather 😛 x
I just made this soup this afternoon and I am on my second bowl! It is delicious ! I will add some crumbled sauage and have more for dinner.
The rain is pouring softly outside today, which means it is absolutely soup weather! This looks amazing, and I love that it’s vegetarian too 🙂
Aaaah, a filling soup without being really heavy. Bean soup is a year round entry in
my life. I like the spinach idea. That’s a most excellent idea.
Made for dinner tonight OMG! It’s so good! I added turkey sausage, kale and spinach. My family inhaled it :-)!
I also live in Southern California, and I actually kind of wish it was a little bit colder! I refuse to stop making soup every week though. This one looks so comforting and delicious. Love that you added lemon juice!
Chungah–This soup is delicious!!! The East Coast (15 degrees and still snowy!!) thanks you!!
I was inspired by the simplicity and heartiness of this soup! I often substitute items (for what I have in my pantry) and for this one I substituted the orzo with some gnocchi and added sliced chicken sausage, keeping everything else the same. It turned out amazing, and it even reheated well for leftover lunch the next day. Thumbs up!
I have a soup recipe that is very similar to this. One thing I do though, which may be good here too is puree the beans so that it creates a wonderful creamy broth.
Made this tonight and it was very good. Next time I make this I would add an extra 2-3 cups of broth (and no water, not sure why you would water down vegetable broth) and extra spinach.
Linda, most stocks come in those cartons in 4 cup increments. If more stock were to be added, you’d need 2 of these cartons and then be left with an opened carton of stock with only 1 cup used. Hence the water. But please feel free to do what works best for you.
Hi! Wonder if I can make this without pasta..because I am on low carb diet but am really interested in this soup!! Does it gonna change the flavor? I am thinking about having this w/cooked quinoa!
Quinoa sounds like a great substitute!
I used quinoa and added a small can of diced tomatoes. it was delicious!
Hi,
could I use oregano instead of the tried thyme and basil?
thanks
Yes, of course.
Excellent! I was almost doubling the recipe, so some of my proportions were a little different (This is soup, not baking, so proportions are very flexible!). I did substitute some chicken broth for the water. But the big difference was that I added a lemon pepper seasoned rotisserie chicken, deboned, from the grocery. Thanks for this one and I’m looking forward to trying more of the recipes from your site!
Wow! What a delicious looking soup…love the ingredients! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
YOUR SITE IS QUICKLY BECOMING MY GO TO PLACE TO GET RECIPES
I HAVE ALREADY MADE THREE DIFFERENT DISHES FROM YOUR RECIPE COLLECTION
I WAS WONDERING IF YOU MAKE YOUR OWN VEGETABLE STOCK BEFORE USING IT IN YOUR SOUPS? IF NOT WHAT BRAND DO YOU PURCHASE?
ALSO I HAVE SOME CHICKEN STOCK LEFT FROM LAST NIGHTS CHICKEN DO YOU THINK IT WOULD TASTE GOOD FOR THIS RE CIPE OR SPOIL THE FLAVOR?
I tend to stock up on stocks at Costco – they are very inexpensive and come in handy for soups like this. As for your leftover chicken stock, I’m sure it would be fine to use.
Why is there a spring of Rosemary in the soup?
The sprig of rosemary is simply used as a garnish.
I had everything on hand and gave it a try. I thought 1/2 t thyme was too much, next time I’d cut to 1/4t. I used Skinny rice (shirataki) in place of the orzo for carb free benefit. Subbed chicken broth for veg cause that’s what I had on hand. Otherwise followed recipe and thought it was good. I did use little cornstarch to give it some body, I’m sure the pasta would thicken it up nicely.
I just made it and used bulgur instead of the orzo pasta. Thanks a lot for such a quick and delicious recipe!
– Greetings from the Czech republic! 🙂
I made this today but with a few minor alterations. Instead of lemon juice I added scirachi sauce and a half can of corn. Wonderful!!
This looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it. 🙂
This soup is amazing! I use chickpeas instead of white beans and add them in early so they got creamy inside – and I also simmer with the rosemary, and it is wonderful.
Will there be a substantial taste difference using Great Northern Beans (another white bean) vs. Cannelini?
Nope – using another type of white bean will be just fine.
Great recipe! I’ve been on a bean soup taste testing spree lately and this one is really good! Thank you!
Added sauteed carrots to cook with the soup and then some fresh chopped tomatoes on top. We really enjoyed this soup. Thanks!
I just made this soup on a 75-degree day and it hits the spot without feeling too heavy! Great recipe; I’ll definitely use this as a base and put different variations on the soup in the future.
I made this for dinner last night and it was a hit with the whole family! Even my picky kids (3, 3 and 5)! So delicious
Thanks for this. I cooked it tonight for dinner & it was so yummy. I’ve always had a soft spot for hearty soups & stews. The smell of onions, garlic, & herbs cooking together just seems right. I love that you threw in spinach & lemon juice too – powerhouses.
This soup is amazing! I made it twice in the last week! It is so easy and the combination of flavors is absolutely right on target with my taste. I love the lemon and the perfect balance of flavors. I defend your addition of a cup of water too! You are very gifted and can’t wait to try some of your other recipes too. xxoo
I didn’t have any Orzo so I made this with a handful of red & white quinoa and a pinch of cayenne. It still turned out great, thanks for the recipe!
Amazing soup. Made it today. didn’t have Basil so I substituted Oregano and it was great. Love the taste of the lemon. I added even more.
Its delicious!
I can’t wait to give this recipe a try. Double the green and halve the protein? So many ways to work with the ingredients.
Sooooo good. Needed a quick dinner for tonight. Husband had purchased spinach with visions of making a tomato florentine soup, but then the week happened. Yesterday, he accidentally opened a can of cannellini. Oops! (He was a little off his game.) He DID make a huge and delicious bowl of fatoush, though. So I hit The Google today to find a soup recipe w/ spinach and cannellini (preferably not tomato-based) and this one was at the top of the list. The lemon juice made me think it would be great along w/ his fatoush, and I was right. So, so, SO good. I went all-in with the veggie broth (ditching the water) and actually did a total of six cups and probably closer to three cups of spinach. And, of course, a little extra garlic. Came together super-quick, super easy. Seven year old son loved it, too. It’s going into the rotation and I’m also going to send some the way of my newly vegetarianized teen niece. Wicked awesome!
I’ve made this soup twice now, once with lemon juice and once without. I have to say, the juice of one whole lemon was a bit overwhelming for my taste, but was fabulous without it! I’ll def be making this soup more often, sans lemon 🙂 . Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Perfect as is. I added 1 TBLS lemon juice and some shredded chicken. SO delicious and healthy!
This website is awesome. I just started eating healthy recently and I’m always looking for quick – healthy – meals to cook and two minutes into this website and I’m already bookmarking two recipes I wanna try this week. The nutrition information is awesome too. Thanks a lot for this great work!
I just made this and it was amazing!!! I didn’t have a bay leaf or an onion, but it still tasted amazing!
I have been on a soup kick for the past couple of months. I will definitely be making this today, after work. I have escarole in my frig, so I’m going to use that instead for spinach.
This was absolutely fabulous !!
This is a go to soup that is easy and quick to make. I find the flavor is quite good and I love the addition of lemon juice. Thank-you for such a great recipe.
Just made this soup and it’s super delicious! I did make far too much of it though to eat all of it before it goes bad-is this a suitable soup to freeze? 🙂
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
This soup was fantastic! I made it last night with some minor adjustments based on what I had in the pantry and what was on sale.
I replaced the spinach with kale, added spicy ground turkey sausage, and used water + bullion paste instead of stock because that’s what I had on had.
I loved the addition of the lemon and parsley, it gives the soup such a wonderful “light” feeling- perfect for these summer nights! Can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch.
Thanks for a great recipe!
I made this soup tonight and absolutely loved it! The orzo made it filling and satisfying, and the lemon added wonderful flavor. Thanks for the recipe! I would definitely recommend.
Amazing! jam packed with flavor!! I unfortunately neglected to add the lemon juice though and am super sad about it. Next time I think i would like to try using Garbanzo beans, like someone else commented with… I will also reduce the amount of orzo by probably half. it expands too much for my liking and this broth is so yummy that i want to keep as much as possible! I think i might also add mushrooms too and see how that goes. I used Chicken broth as thats what i had on hand. besides forgetting the lemon i followed the recipe as written and even though i plan to alter it a bit, it was absolutely delicious! My extremely picky toddler even gobbled up his entire bowl.. after making me fish out his “seaweed” (spinach) can’t wait to try your other recipes!
This is such an awesome and delicious recipe, thank you!! I started the 5:2 fast and I used this recipe on one of my fasting days …
Stupid question–Can I cook this in a crock pot?
Yes, absolutely.
Yum! Your site is my favorite go to! When is the best time to add the andouille?
You can add cooked andouille with the spinach and cannellini beans.
Love this soup. We add bacon and deer sausage and it’s great!
I think this needs 2 times the amount of liquid.
I made this Wednesday night and WOW! I loved it so much! It was so hearty, delicious and fast to make. I will say though I didn’t like it at first maybe because I bought an organic and low sodium stock but I just added a tad more salt and it was perfect. Also the addition of the lemon juice makes a total difference. Will be making this often… thanks so much for the recipe!!!
I got my non-vegetarian family to eat this and I was so excited! I rarely get to eat the food they make because it’s not vegetarian, so I love finding recipes that they love as well! This was absolutely fantastic! <3
This is the third time i makes this recipe I liked it so much, easy and delicious and nutritious thanks May god blesses you with a wonderful happy life
Wow. This is a delicious soup. I added chicken and chicken broth. Thank you for this recipe!!!
This is my go to recipe if I’m not feeling the greatest, made it so many times, it’s amazing, I love soup and also love how it’s filling and healthy!
Only thing I suggest is using this soup the day you make it, the orzo absorbs a lot of the liquid..
Thanks a lot for such a great recipe!
Delicious and comes together so quickly. Most ingredients from the pantry – bonus!
I just made this with one little tweak – I added the beans and liquid before the orzo and blitzed everything with a stick blender (another great thing-you can do a very rough chop on your onions/garlic). Then I added the orzo. I was a little worried during the cooking process, because it almost looked like the orzo was dissolving and I was going to be left with a pot of sludge BUT eventually it turned into a creamy almost chowder like consistency. The spinach gives it a nice color and I added some fresh sage instead of parsley at the end. Will definitely use this as a base recipe and experiment with kale, turkey sausage, and other herbs. Thank you for a great recipe!
Have hambone stock on hand can I use that for this receipe and then throw in some ham leftovers?. I would think this soup would freeze…. since there are only two of us.
What an amazing idea! Yes!
I don’t eat processed carbs (orzo) I subbed with a mix of rice and bulgar instead. I also added some Italian sausage per recommendations from comments.
Yummy and nice even on a Texas summer evening.
Is this good reheated? Im worried about the orzo…
Yes, it reheats well!
This is a very good basic soup, with plenty of room for improvisation by necessity. I made it as described, but used chicken broth and a pinch of red pepper. I was making it for the next day, so I gave the orzo enough time to be nearly done, and added a good pinch more of dried basil at the end to retain those nice upper notes. Simple and delicious!
Super fast and easy to make. It was a bit bland so I added shaved Parmesan. Next time I’ll add the parmigiana rind to the soup for extra flavour.
I have had a difficult time finding good vegetable stock. Do you make your own or use a particular brand?
I try to use an organic brand whenever possible.
Just discovered your site a few days ago and loved the sound of your white bean and spinach soup now that days are damp and blustery. L particularly like that you give the nutrition information but while the recipe makes 6 servings nowhere could I find how big those servings are – 1 cup? 2 cups?, etc. Do you provide such information – I need actual serving sizes for things such as soup which can’t easily be weighed.
Each serving is roughly 1-2 cups, or you can divide the entire recipe by 6. Hope that helps!
I am very disappointed that your receipes can no longer be printed.
Is this a money thing, could you explain, please.
All recipes are still printable. When you scroll down to see the ingredient list and directions, there is a blue button called “Print Recipe”. Hope that helps.
If I sub out the orzo for quiona, do I need to add COOKED quiona or raw?
I recommend adding cooked quinoa. Raw quinoa can be added but cooking time will vary as quinoa will take longer to cook through. Hope that helps!
This looks fabulous. I need to learn to have healthier stuff like this more often (:
Perfect. I learned that the onions and spices leave a lovely smell in the kitchen. Very tasty & quick.
Hi, Made this soup last night and I must say it was absolutely yummy. Followed the recipe exactly and came out great. I am sure I need to add more water or broth to reheat the left over as all soups with pasta absorb the liquid. This is a very easy recipe with a sophisticated taste.
Thank you for posting this recipe.
Ferryal
I loved this soup…but added some green chilies to it as I like spicy…this will be a staple item on My menu. Thanks
The green chiles sounds amazing!
it is a cold December morning in NH so i found this recipe as i have spinach,beans,broth,fresh oregano. Haven’t seen posts since 2015 and inquiring about any updates in 2 yrs. Looks very good and i used homemade chix broth as well as a bunch of veggies. Will serve with homemade croutons. possibly will top with a little parmesan fresh grated. thank you
You can head to the homepage (https://damndelicious.net/) for new recipes. I post at least 3 new recipes a week! 🙂
I was really disappointed..no flavor! Seemed like it needed tomatoes or something else.
I love all of the ingredients in this soup, and was expecting a lot more flavor. I’m not exactly sure what could pump up the flavor.
Any suggestions for how to use frozen spinach in this soup? I’ve got a block of frozen spinach that I’m just dying to get out of the freezer! I’m worried that if I just drop it in, the extra moisture will seriously dilute the overall flavor.
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
This was really really good! I added the whole bag of spinach because it cooks down and spinach is one of the few dark leafy greens I like. I will definitely be making this again!
Made this soup with ingredients but used chickpea pasta (just because I wanted to try the pasta in something ) loved the soup and added extra lemon juice because it’s just such a fresh flavor. Wonderful recipe will love to make it again and again. Ps I also added a little vegan parmesan because it reminded me of an Italian soup
Hello! I made this soup twice and absolutely loved it! I just made it for a third time and followed the directions exactly, which says to add a cup of water (which is in the directions but not in the ingredient list). I must have missed the water the first two times bc it was fabulous and this time it tasted watered down. Is water something you add or not?
Hi Lauren! Yes, 1 cup water is listed in the recipe. Some recipes typically do not include water in the ingredient list. You can, however, omit the water if you prefer. Hope that helps!