Creamy Northern Bean Soup
Great Northern Bean Soup is a cozy and hearty dish that’s perfect for a busy weeknight. With broth, tender beans, and aromatic herbs, this soup is both comforting and filling, making it a must-try for any soup lover. Top it with fresh herbs, bacon crumbles, or croutons for an extra layer of deliciousness!
Why This Great Northern Bean Soup Rocks!
If you love cooking soups in the Instant Pot like Red Lentil Soup or Navy Bean Soup, you'll love this recipe!
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Carrots, Onion, Celery, and Garlic: This classic combination of vegetables, known as a mirepoix, forms the flavorful base for many soups and stews. The carrots add sweetness, the celery adds a subtle herbal note, and the onions bring rich, savory depth. These ingredients also offer a healthy dose of vitamins and fiber, making the soup both delicious and nutritious.
- Bay Leaf, White Miso, and Fresh Herbs: The bay leaf and fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, or marjoram bring a fragrant, earthy aroma to the soup. White miso is an optional addition that adds a rich, umami flavor, enhancing the depth of the broth. These ingredients help balance the creaminess of the beans and make the soup feel extra cozy.
- Vegetable Broth: Using a good-quality vegetable broth is key to adding a rich base to this soup. It enhances the natural flavors of the beans and vegetables while keeping the dish light and plant-based. If you want to make your broth from scratch, try this vegetable broth recipe.
- Beans: Great Northern beans have a mild flavor and creamy texture, making them the perfect star of this dish. You can use canned beans for convenience, or use a great northern beans recipe to cook dried beans from scratch if you want to control the texture and sodium levels. You could also swap cannellini or navy beans.
- Toppings: The beauty of this soup is how customizable it is with toppings. You can add croutons, crispy bacon, fresh herbs, crispy kale pieces, toasted pumpkin seeds, tangy pickled red onions, or a drizzle of tahini depending on the flavor and texture you’re going for.
- Herb Substitutes. Swap fresh thyme, rosemary, or marjoram for dried herbs if fresh aren’t available.
Check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and quantities of each one.
How to Make Great Northern Bean Soup
Once you have all your veggies and herbs chopped, it’s time to start making the soup. Follow these simple steps.
Step 1: Sauté the Vegetables. Heat the coconut oil in the Instant Pot on sauté, then add the diced onions, celery, and carrots, cooking until softened. Add the garlic at the end.
Step 2: Add the Beans and Broth. Add the bay leaf, northern beans, fresh herbs, optional white miso, and broth to the pot. Stir everything together.
Step 3: Pressure Cook and Blend. Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to 40-45 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth and creamy.
Step 4: Season the Soup. Add salt and black pepper, adjusting the seasoning to taste. Enjoy!
Handy Tip: Make a Double Batch!
Since this soup stores and reheats easily, it's perfect for meal prepping. If you're already planning your meals for the week, consider making a double batch to enjoy quick, easy lunches or dinners later on.
Alternate Cooking Methods
When cooking dried northern beans using other cooking methods will require soaking the beans for at least 8 hours before cooking them. To soak, cover them with fresh water and add a spoonful of salt. Drain and rinse after soaking.
- Slow Cooker: Sauté the vegetables on the stove, add everything to the slow cooker, and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours until beans are tender, then blend and season.
- Stove Top: Sauté the veggies, then simmer all ingredients in a covered pot over low heat for 45-60 minutes until the beans are tender; blend and season.
Dietary Modifications & Variations
- Give a Meaty Flavor. Stir in diced ham at the end, or cook a ham bone or ham hock with the beans, or cook bacon with the veggies at the start of the recipe.
- Oil-Free. For an oil-free version, simply skip sautéing the veggies in oil; while it adds depth to the flavor, the soup will still be delicious without it.
- Make it Spicy. Add red pepper flakes, cayenne, or a diced jalapeño to the sautéed veggies for a kick of heat.
- Creamier Texture. Stir in a splash of coconut milk or cashew cream at the end for a richer, creamier consistency.
- Grain Add-In. For a heartier meal, add cooked quinoa, barley, or farro after pressure cooking to boost fiber and protein.
Soup-er Toppings & Serving Suggestions
This creamy white bean soup goes well with crusty bread or a fresh green salad. You can serve it with crusty artisan bread to dip in the soup, or make a homemade batch of biscuits or cornbread.
Roasted carrots, sweet potatoes, or Brussels sprouts complement the flavors of the soup and pack a nutritional punch.
You could also pair the soup with a gooey, grilled vegan cheese sandwich for a comforting and indulgent combo.
Storage Tips
- Storing: This creamy bean soup freezes well. Allow the soup to cool completely before storing it. Transfer it to an airtight container for storing. It’s a good idea to store it in individual servings to use for future meals especially for smaller households. This is where souper cubes come in handy! Store it in the refrigerator for up to four days or in the freezer for up to three months.
- Reheating: Place the soup in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until heated through. You may need to add a bit of water or broth as the soup will thicken during storage. You can also reheat in the microwave.
Expert Tips
- Don’t skimp on seasoning: Taste and adjust the salt and pepper at the end to ensure the soup is well-seasoned, especially after blending.
- Customize the recipe how you like: If you have leftover veggies you want to use up, you could add them into the soup. Broccoli, mushrooms, corn, butternut squash, or potato could all work great. Another way to adjust the flavor profile would be to use any variety of white beans (canned or dried) including navy beans, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans, butter beans or pinto beans.
Recipe FAQs
You can decide how creamy you want the texture. For a thick, stew-like texture, you could leave the blending step out entirely, or for a thinner soup you could add more broth. You can add a splash of coconut milk or a small amount of cashew cream toward the end of cooking for extra creaminess without blending.
Both canned and cooked dried beans work well in this white bean soup. Canned beans are quicker and more convenient, while dried beans offer better texture and flavor control.
Yes, feel free to add vegetables like spinach, kale, or zucchini to boost the nutritional value of this bean soup recipe and make the dish even more flavorful.
More Delicious Bean Soup Recipes
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Creamy Northern Bean Soup
Equipment
- Immersion Blender or regular blender
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2-3 ribs celery sliced
- 2 medium carrots sliced
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pound northern beans rinsed and sorted
- 2-3 sprigs fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary, or marjoram
- 1 tablespoon white miso optional
- 8 cups broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Toppings
- Croutons
- Crispy bacon
- Fresh herbs
- Crispy kale pieces
Instructions
- Heat coconut oil in Instant pot using saute setting. When hot add onions, celery, and carrots. Cook 7-8 minutes or until onions soften. Add garlic, cook one minute longer. Turn off saute.
- Add bay leaf, beans, herbs, white miso, and broth to the pot. Cook on high pressure for 40-45 minutes. Allow to release pressure naturally and then remove lid. Carefully remove the herb sprigs and bay leaf and discard.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until creamy. Add salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust any of the seasonings to your taste.
- Serve in a bowl with your favorite toppings. Enjoy.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skimp on seasoning: Taste and adjust the salt and pepper at the end to ensure the soup is well-seasoned, especially after blending.
- Customize the recipe how you like: If you have leftover veggies you want to use up, you could add them into the soup. Broccoli, mushrooms, corn, butternut squash, or potato could all work great. Another way to adjust the flavor profile would be to use any variety of white beans (canned or dried) including navy beans, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans, butter beans or pinto beans.
Nutrition
