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White Bean Soup with Arugula & Lemon

White Bean Soup is the perfect comfort food when you are looking for a vegetarian soup to warm you up. Filled with herbs and brightened with lemon - your family will love this one.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
52 mins
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 3361 kcal
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil*
  • 2 ribs celery diced
  • 1 medium leek white & light green sections chopped
  • 1 medium red or orange bell pepper seeded & chopped
  • 1 carrot peeled & sliced into thin ¼-inch pieces
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary leaved removed & chopped
  • 2 springs fresh oregano leaves removed & chopped
  • 2-3 springs fresh thyme leaves removed & chopped
  • 5 cups low sodium vegetable broth**
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 strips lemon zest using a vegetable peeler
  • 1 inch chunk Parmesan rind
  • 15 ounces canned or cooked chickpeas rinsed
  • 15 ounces canned or cooked white beans rinsed
  • ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ground pepper or to taste
  • 2 cups arugula loosely packed
  • Parmesan strips using a vegetable peeler, for garnish***

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the celery, leek, bell pepper and carrot, and saute so they all begin to soften, about 5 to 6 minutes. Allow the vegetables to sweat but not turn brown – you just want them to soften.
  2. Add the garlic, dried oregano, rosemary, oregano and thyme, and continue to cook, stirring everything together for another minute.
  3. Pour in the broth and add the bay leaf, lemon zest, Parmesan rind, chickpeas and beans. Stir to combine and season to taste.
  4. Cover the pot with a lid, bring to a low simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
  5. Once done, remove the cheese rind and the lemon zest. If you prefer a creamier soup (which I do!), use an immersion blender to blend some of the soup. Alternatively, let the soup cool slightly, then ladle 2 cups of the soup into a blender or food processor, blend to a smooth consistency, then add that back into the soup. **Be sure to let the soup cool a bit and hold the lid on your blender so you don’t burn yourself or end up with soup on your ceiling.**
  6. Remove the soup from the heat and add the arugula. The residual heat will soften the leaves.
  7. Garnish with the strips of Parmesan.

Notes

  • Weight Watchers Points: 2 (Freestyle SmartPoints), 8 (Points+)
  • Re-published with permission from The Weeknight Mediterranean Kitchen by Samantha Ferraro.
  • *Original recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
  • **Original recipe does not call for low sodium broth, but I went this route to accommodate those watching their sodium. Feel free to use regular vegetable broth or even chicken broth.
  • ***Parmesan strips not included in nutritional information.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1.75Cups Calories 336.1kcal (17%) Carbohydrates 59.4g (20%) Protein 14.3g (29%) Fat 5.3g (8%) Saturated Fat 0.8g (4%) Sodium 726.4mg (30%) Fiber 13.3g (53%) Sugar 6.2g (12%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 3361

% Daily Value*

Serving 1.75Cups
Calories 336.1kcal 17%
Carbohydrates 59.4g 20%
Protein 14.3g 29%
Fat 5.3g 8%
Saturated Fat 0.8g 4%
Sodium 726.4mg 30%
Fiber 13.3g 53%
Sugar 6.2g 12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.