Bowl of white bean and shallot soup with rosemary and garlic with a slice of whole wheat sourdough bread.

Soup is one of my favorite things to cook simply because you can get creative with it. I love layering the flavors and experimenting with different techniques and flavor combinations. This White Bean and Shallot Soup with Rosemary and Garlic was so much fun to create. Full of buttery white beans, flavorful broth and aromatic rosemary and garlic, this is soup is as nourishing as it is delicious. Adding a sprinkle of quick pickled minced shallot to the top adds a delightful crunch and brightens the flavor with a hint of acidity. Enjoy with a slice of crusty bread or my hearty whole wheat sourdough.

Why This Soup Works

White Beans: These humble beans have a creamy texture that blends beautifully into a smooth and velvety soup. They’re mild, making them the perfect backdrop for the aromatic shallots and garlic.
Shallots & Garlic: Shallots have a delicate sweetness and a more refined onion flavor that pairs well with the robust depth of garlic. Together, they create extra depth and layer of flavor.
Rosemary: This herb brings a fragrant, woodsy note to the soup. Use fresh if you can but dried will do if that’s all you have.
Broth: Whether you use vegetable or chicken broth or a bouillon base, using a flavorful broth is key to this soup.
Simple Seasoning: A little salt and pepper to taste is all it takes to enhance these simple ingredients.

How to Make White Bean and Shallot Soup with Rosemary and Garlic

Ingredients:

3 cans white beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbls avocado oil or olive oil
5 shallots, finely minced (set aside one for garnish)
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
6 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
Salt and pepper to taste

For the quick pickled shallots:

Reserved shallot, finely minced
White vinegar, enough to cover the minced shallot

Directions:

Making a quick pickled shallot for white bean and shallot soup with rosemary and garlic.

1.) To prepare the quick pickled shallot put one of the finely minced shallots into a small bowl. Use enough white vinegar to cover the minced shallot. Set aside.
2.) In a medium Dutch oven add the oil and heat over medium heat. Once the oil is hot enough add the rest of the minced shallots. Saute until they start to become translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir until fragrant, less than a minute.
3.) Add the 6 cups of broth and bring to a low simmer.
4.) Add the fresh rosemary.
5.) Add the salt and pepper to taste. The salt will depend on how salty your broth already is so tasting is really important before you add your salt.

Woman using an immersion blender to blend up some soup.

6.) Using an immersion blender blitz the soup with a few short bursts. You don’t want to puree all the soup. You still want whole beans. If you don’t have an immersion blender you can lade a few ladles of the soup into the blender, blend, then add back to the soup pot.
7.) Let the soup simmer very low for 15-20 minutes with the lid off to allow the soup to thicken a bit.
8.) Ladle into bowls and top with a tablespoon or so of the quick pickled shallot. If you desire, enjoy with a slice of crusty bread.

Bowl of white bean and shallot soup with rosemary and garlic topped with some quick pickled shallots and served with whole wheat sourdough bread.

Notes:

You can use any white bean you’d like but my favorite for this soup are navy beans.
If desired, you can make the soup even thicker by using less broth.
If you don’t have any homemade broth on hand you can use your favorite bullion or soup base.
Store any leftover soup in the fridge for up to three days. I like to store it in mason jars.
This soup can also be frozen. Simply let cool to room temp, put into a large ziploc bag, place flat on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer. Once it is frozen you can remove the cookie sheet. Letting the soup freeze flat really helps with storage space. This also makes the thawing time so much faster. Simply remove from the freezer, place on a cookie sheet and thaw at room temp. Add to a pot, bring to a low simmer and serve.

Pin for later!

Pinterest pin for white bean and shallot soup.

Yield: 5-6 servings