This creamy Rosemary and Roasted Garlic White Bean Soup is a comforting, 45-minute miracle, loaded with roasted garlic, caramelized leeks, fresh rosemary, and hearty white beans. It’s a simple yet flavorful dish that’s perfect for cozy dinners or impressing guests. With just eight ingredients and one pot, this soup delivers creamy goodness without being overly heavy, offering a deliciously rustic taste with a citrusy finish.
Full Recipe:
Ingredients
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4 heads garlic, top ¼-inch trimmed
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4 sprigs fresh rosemary
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2 large leeks, dark green parts removed, halved lengthwise
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6–8 celery stalks, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
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1 cup grated carrots
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1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
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2 dried bay leaves
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3 (15-oz) cans cannellini beans, drained
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5 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, divided
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⅛ cup heavy cream
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2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
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½ lemon (for serving)
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Grated Parmesan or fontina cheese (for garnish)
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
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Roast Garlic and Leeks: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Place trimmed garlic heads and halved leeks on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and arrange rosemary sprigs over the garlic. Roast for 40 minutes until golden and tender.
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Sauté Vegetables: In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat ½ tablespoon olive oil over medium-low heat. Add diced onion, celery, carrots, and bay leaves. Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened. Season with salt and pepper.
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Simmer Soup Base: Stir in drained beans and 4 cups of broth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes while the garlic finishes roasting.
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Prepare Roasted Garlic Paste: Once the garlic has cooled slightly, squeeze the roasted cloves into a small bowl, discarding skins. Remove crispy rosemary leaves from the stems and finely chop. Mash garlic and rosemary into a coarse paste.
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Blend Soup: Transfer half of the soup mixture, roasted leeks, and garlic-rosemary paste to a blender. Purée until smooth, then return to the pot. For a chunkier texture, blend only one-third of the soup.
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Finish and Serve: Stir in the remaining 1 cup of broth and heavy cream. Warm over low heat for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve topped with grated cheese, a sprinkle of fresh rosemary, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Nutrients
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Calories: 250-300 per serving
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Carbohydrates: 35-40g
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Fat: 10-12g
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Protein: 10-12g
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Fiber: 8-10g
This Rosemary and Roasted Garlic White Bean Soup is the perfect combination of simplicity and rich flavor—ideal for any cozy occasion!
Why This Soup Is Perfect for Any Occasion
One of the reasons this soup stands out is its perfect balance of richness and lightness. The roasted garlic and fresh rosemary bring bold, aromatic flavors, while the white beans provide heartiness without making the dish feel heavy. The soup is creamy, thanks to the addition of heavy cream, but it doesn’t have that overly rich or indulgent feeling that many creamy soups tend to have. This makes it an excellent option for a variety of occasions—whether you’re looking for a cozy, comforting meal on a cold evening or something to serve guests at a dinner party.
The simplicity of the ingredients—just eight key components and one pot—makes this soup incredibly easy to prepare, even for beginner cooks. Despite its short preparation time, the depth of flavor developed from the roasted garlic and leeks will have your guests thinking you spent hours in the kitchen. It’s also versatile: you can make it ahead of time, store it, and reheat it, making it perfect for busy days when you want a delicious meal ready to go.
The Heart of the Soup: Roasted Garlic and Leeks
At the heart of this soup are the roasted garlic and caramelized leeks, both of which bring incredible depth and sweetness to the dish. Roasting garlic is a transformative process that softens the cloves and enhances their natural sweetness, mellowing out the sharp bite that raw garlic can have. The result is a smooth, buttery garlic paste that blends seamlessly into the soup.
Leeks, often underappreciated, add a gentle sweetness when sautéed. They become tender and caramelized during the cooking process, which adds layers of savory richness to the soup. These ingredients together create the foundation of the soup’s warm, earthy flavor that will have you reaching for seconds.
Herbs and Seasoning: The Role of Rosemary and Bay Leaves
Fresh rosemary is another star in this soup, offering a fragrant, pine-like aroma that pairs perfectly with the creamy beans and garlic. Rosemary’s robust flavor is one of the main seasoning elements in this dish, complementing the roasted garlic and leeks to create a harmonious base. By roasting the garlic with sprigs of rosemary, you allow the herbs to infuse the garlic, which elevates the overall flavor of the soup.
Bay leaves are added to the soup while it simmers, releasing subtle herbal notes that deepen the flavor profile. The combination of rosemary and bay leaves creates a comforting, savory aroma that’s perfect for a cold day, making the soup feel like a warm hug in a bowl.
The Creaminess and Texture
Despite being a creamy soup, this recipe avoids being overly rich. The addition of heavy cream lends just the right amount of smoothness, but it’s balanced by the fresh lemon juice added at the end. The lemon provides a citrusy finish that brightens the overall flavor of the soup, preventing it from feeling too heavy.
The texture is another key feature of this soup. By blending part of the soup mixture, including the roasted leeks and garlic-rosemary paste, you create a creamy base without using a ton of cream. This gives the soup a velvety texture while still maintaining some of the whole bean’s hearty presence. If you prefer a chunkier soup, you can blend just part of the mixture, leaving the rest of the beans whole for added texture.
Simple, Yet Rich Flavors
What makes this soup so appealing is how easily the flavors come together. Despite having only a handful of ingredients, each one is carefully chosen to bring out the best in the others. The cannellini beans provide a creamy base and help thicken the soup naturally. The caramelized vegetables—the garlic, leeks, and onions—bring a deep, savory sweetness, while the fresh rosemary and lemon juice add brightness and balance to the dish.
The soup also benefits from the use of low-sodium broth, which allows you to control the seasoning level and prevents the soup from becoming too salty. Adjusting the amount of salt and pepper allows you to customize the flavor to your taste, ensuring every bite is perfectly seasoned.
Easy and Quick to Prepare
The beauty of this Rosemary and Roasted Garlic White Bean Soup lies in how easy it is to prepare. In just 45 minutes, you can create a dish that feels indulgent but is incredibly simple. The first step is roasting the garlic and leeks, which fills your kitchen with an irresistible aroma. While they roast, you sauté the vegetables in a pot, allowing them to soften and develop flavor. Once the beans and broth are added, you let everything simmer together, building up rich flavors without a lot of active cooking time.
Blending part of the soup ensures a creamy consistency, and with a quick finishing touch of lemon juice, Parmesan, or fontina cheese, your soup is ready to be served. It’s a simple, one-pot dish that’s perfect for busy evenings when you want a comforting meal but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen.
Versatility and Customization
One of the great things about this soup is its versatility. You can easily make substitutions based on what you have in your pantry or your personal preferences. For instance, if you don’t have leeks, you can substitute them with onions, and the soup will still be delicious. If you prefer a vegan version, simply swap out the heavy cream for coconut cream or a dairy-free option, and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
The soup can also be customized to your desired texture. If you prefer a silky smooth soup, blend the entire batch. For a chunkier texture, blend just a portion of the soup, leaving some beans whole for added texture. The topping of grated cheese is optional but adds a nice touch of richness, while the squeeze of lemon juice at the end gives the soup a bright, fresh finish.
Conclusion: Why You Should Make Rosemary and Roasted Garlic White Bean Soup
Rosemary and Roasted Garlic White Bean Soup is a perfect example of how simple ingredients can come together to create something deeply flavorful and satisfying. This creamy soup, with its roasted garlic, caramelized leeks, and fresh rosemary, offers a comforting and rustic dish that’s ideal for any cozy occasion.
Its quick preparation time and ease of making make it a great option for busy weeknights, while its rich, aromatic flavor profile makes it a dish you can proudly serve to guests. Whether you’re in need of a hearty meal to warm you up on a chilly day or looking for a flavorful soup to impress your guests, this recipe is sure to deliver. With just eight ingredients, one pot, and 45 minutes, you can create a soul-satisfying meal that will leave everyone asking for seconds.
