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
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ 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
Instructions
- 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.
Did you make this recipe?
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Used 1 cup of quinoa instead of orzo (didn’t have any, plus I figured quinoa would up the fiber/protein content) and cooked it right in the broth; used fresh thyme, dried oregano and Italian seasoning because it’s what I had on hand. Turned out really good!
Good recipe!
With the times I’ve made this, I never had orzo, so I add in one chopped carrot and one rib of chopped celery in the step of cooking the onions and garlic.
I salt to taste at the end, usually using one packet of Sazon seasoning since I use low-sodium broth. I pair this with homemade crusty bread and butter and it’s delicious. Love love love the zing of the lemon! (I only add a quarter of a whole lemon.)
I’ve also made this adding a couple of our garden tomatoes – a mix of chopped Roma and Big Boy variety – making the soup a light warm red color.
I haven’t added protein to this recipe because it’s just perfect with vegetables, but I can imagine juicy chicken thighs making this a very satisfying meal.
Good luck in your cooking and happy eating!
YUM!! Made this tonight sans orzo and added rosemary. Super fast easy and delicious!
This recipe is one of my favorites. My family and friends love it too. So good, so easy for a quick delicious meal. I don’t usually have fresh parsley on hand so I substitute cilantro, and it really compliments the lemon. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I like that it can be made vegan or non-vegan. The differences I made were I added fresh herbs and two more cups of chicken stock to balance the out the lemon and give it some more broth. Overall, this is a hearty, healthy and comforting recipe. I might add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a bit of heat. will make again.
Absolutely delicious…the perfect healthy vegetarian recipe I was looking for….I added some crushed red pepper at the end for a little zing…thanks for a great, EASY and quick soup recipe!!!
I made this w/out the orzo pasta; we had crackers and cheese on the side. I didn’t have any parsley so I used fresh basil, oregano and a fresh sage leaf simmered w the spinach before using immersion blender to mix it all up and make creamy.
We sprinkled vegan mozzarella and toasted pine nuts on top. (Okay I didn’t toast them; still a good addition).
I also soaked a 1lb bag of white beans overnight and made in an instant pot so that I could use several cups for this soup and have extra beans for a white bean hummus as a side for another meal.
We will make this soup again!
I love this soup! It is so easy and delicious! I add everything except the orzo. It just adds more carbs and my husband is diabetic.
I accidentally bought chicken stock but made it anyway. Followed the recipe exactly other than the stock and it was super duper delicious. I did sprinkle parm cheese on it before eatting. Thank you for a great receipe.
Such a delicious recipe! I had no spinach and didn’t stir in orzo either but it was damn delicious!
*****
Delicious!! I believe this is the first time I have ever referred to a soup as…springy and fresh. This was the perfect choice for a spring evening.
I halved the recipe, except for the canned beans. It came out like a stew and enough for 2 good sized bowls.
Tasty and filling!
Soup was easy to make but I had two add two additional cups of stock because it was not “soupy” enough. Tastes great!
Made this recipe today and loved it. I did add some celery and carrots plus more broth. It’s light, delicious and healthy. I’ll be making this recipe again and again.
Next order of groceries, I’ll be excited to see the ingredients for this luscious looking soup. But I have a quick question: What about that great sprig of rosemary I see? Was it just for appearance or actually part of the ingredients?
My absolute favorite soup. Quick and easy, My go to and it’s so delicious!!!!! But was wondering if anyone had a suggested time to eat it after refrigerating? I left it out on the stove for about 24 hours after making it (was sick) and then put it away and has now been in my fridge for a week and 2 days. I don’t want to make another if I have left overs but is it still good to eat?
Bella, it sounds like your soup sat around for a dangerously long time! I hate wasting food, too, but you don’t want to risk a nasty food-borne illness.
My go to favorite soup! I often switch up the spinach for kale that I have growing in my garden. I love adding smoked Italian sausage and usually swap out the orzo for gluten free pasta. I’ve been known to eat this for breakfast lunch and dinner…delicious and leaves me healthy after eating it.
damndelicious is the perfect way to describe this soup. We love soup and I make it 3-4 times a week. Lunch can not come fast enough today (or there might not be anything left). Only thing I did differently was cut back on the thyme, personal preference. The lemon makes it pop. Thank you
One of my go-to soups. It takes so little time and is so fresh and flavorful. I almost always have the ingredients on hand.
Fantastic! I’ve been looking for new recipes for the Mediterranean Diet that includes white beans, and found this one. I had a couple of Italian sausages left over in the fridge, so I used them (half a pound, maybe?) and it was the perfect addition. Next time, I’ll add another cup or two of the veggie broth and not add any sea salt, since it really didn’t need it. Also grated some Parmagiano-Reggiano on it and it was great!