Creamy Fennel and White Bean Soup

This luscious fennel soup is creamy, satisfying, and flavored with garlic, herbs, and, of course, fennel. Thickened with pureed white beans and vegetables, it’s dairy-free, and it only takes about 30 minutes to come together.

If you need an easy fall or winter warm-up meal, try this soup tonight.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This fennel soup recipe deserves a spot on your winter soup rotation because it’s:

  • Fast and easy to make. You’ll have a hearty dinner in about 30 minutes.
  • Made with mostly pantry staples. Just grab a fresh fennel bulb when you're at the store.
  • So good for you! It’s got 12 grams of cholesterol-lowering fiber from the white beans in each bowl! And fennel contains an array of plant compounds with health benefits that may protect your heart, soothe your stomach, and reduce your risk of cancer and diabetes. 
  • Really delicious. Fennel is a Mediterranean vegetable with a subtly sweet, interesting, mild anise flavor that is perfect with garlic and other Mediterranean herbs.

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what I use to make this fennel and white bean soup. I’ve listed a few substitutions and variations in the section below.

See my recipe card below for the full recipe with ingredients and measurements.

Ingredients needed to make fennel soup with white beans.

Fennel. This recipe calls for a fresh fennel bulb and dried fennel seeds, but still, the fennel flavor, which many people describe as anise-like, isn’t overpowering. And it definitely does not taste like licorice! Choose a firm, large-size fennel bulb and discard the stalks and root bottom, which are tough and fibrous.

White beans. I use canned cannellini beans (also called white kidney beans). They’re nice and creamy and puree very easily. 

Garlic. Five large cloves sound like a lot, but trust me, it works.

Fresh rosemary. Use a large sprig instead of dried rosemary. It will impart lovely Mediterranean flavors, and the sprig is easy to remove, so you won’t have rosemary needles in your soup.

Substitutions and Variations

For a vegetarian/vegan option, use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

If you don’t have cannellini beans, use canned Great Northern beans.

Instead of regular yellow or white onions, use sweet onions, leeks, or shallots. Each has a slightly different flavor, but they complement the other seasonings in this soup.

If you have an extra 30 minutes, try roasting the fennel and onions (or leeks or shallots) until golden and caramelized. It will give this soup a rich, sweet flavor.

Other things you can add to this soup include:

  • Cooked brown rice or other grain.
  • Shredded chicken
  • Carrots, chopped spinach, or kale. Note: if you puree these with the soup, it will change the color.

Step By Step Instructions

First, Saute your onions, fennel, and garlic until the vegetables are tender and turn golden brown. This takes about 10 minutes over medium-high heat.

Creamy fennel soup with white beans steps one and two.

Second, add the stock, about â…” of the beans, and the herbs. Bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.

Third, puree the soup until it’s mostly or completely smooth as desired.

Steps 3 and 4 to make fennel soup with white beans.

Fourth, add the remaining beans to the soup. Taste it and add extra salt or herbs as desired.

A white bowl of fennel and white bean soup with rosemary sprigs and sliced bread in the background.

Expert Tips

  • I highly recommend using an immersion blender for this and other creamy soup recipes. It’s my go-to tool for pureeing soup and is much easier (and safer) than a blender. 
  • If you don’t have an immersion blender and prefer a regular blender, blend in small batches. If you fill the blender more than half full with hot soup, the soup can explode from the top lid. Always remove the plastic cover from the lid so the heat can vent. Place a towel over the blender lid and hold it securely. If you like creamy soups, a high-speed Vitamix blender is a great choice because it can handle hot liquids better than many other blenders.
  • Once cut, fennel turns brown quickly from oxidization (like apples). To avoid browning, dice your fennel bulb just before sauteing it. If you prefer to dice it beforehand, keep it in one cup of water with four tablespoons of lemon juice. Alternatively, stir some olive oil into the diced fennel to slow oxidation. 

What to Eat With Fennel & White Bean Soup

This fennel soup recipe is hearty enough to stand alone, but it’s even better served with fresh sourdough bread, Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive Focaccia, or Sweet Potato Cornbread. For tasty side salads, I recommend:

For crispy, crunchy toppings, I like to add homemade croutons, a sprinkle of crisped bacon, toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas), or a handful of homemade Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Kale Chips.

2 white bowls of creamy fennel and white bean soup garnished with rosemary and bacon. A cutting board with sliced bread, 2 spoons, and a sprig of fresh rosemary are in the background.

Recipe FAQs

How long can you keep leftover fennel and white bean soup?

You can keep leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to four days or in the freezer for up to six months.

Is fennel a starchy vegetable?

Fennel is a member of the carrot and parsley family, so it’s relatively low in carbs and starch. According to the USDA, a one-cup serving of sliced fennel has about 6g of carbohydrates, 3g of fiber, 1g of protein, and only 27 calories.

Other Creamy Soup Recipes

If you love cozy, creamy soups that are good for you, try these recipes.

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating on the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

Recipe

2 white bowls of creamy fennel and white bean soup garnished with rosemary and bacon. A cutting board with sliced bread, 2 spoons, and a sprig of fresh rosemary are in the background.

Creamy Fennel and White Bean Soup

A rich, creamy, and flavorful fennel soup that's so quick and easy to make
4.41 from 22 votes
Print Pin
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Diet: Lower Carb, Heart Healthy, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 347kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 medium onions diced
  • 1 large fennel bulb trimmed and diced
  • 5 medium garlic cloves minced
  • 5 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • 45 ounces cans white cannellini beans (divided) 3 cans drained and rinsed
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • sea salt to taste
  • croutons, crumbled bacon, or roasted pumpkin seeds optional garnishes

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and fennel and cook for about 9 minutes until they are softened and turn golden. Add the garlic and saute for another minute.
  • Add the chicken stock, about â…” of the rinsed beans, the fennel seeds, thyme, and rosemary sprig. Turn the heat up to high and bring the soup to a boil. Then, cover it and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes.
  • Remove the rosemary sprig.
  • Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it's fairly smooth and creamy. Add the remaining beans, and salt to taste. Cook the soup for another 5 minutes or until it's heated through.
  • Alternatively, blend the soup in a regular blender in small batches.
  • If desired, serve the soup topped with croutons, crumbled bacon bits, or toasted pumpkin seeds.

Notes

This recipe is adapted from 177 Milk Street.
Keep leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Once cut, fennel oxidizes and turns brown quickly. Dice your fennel just before using it or keep it in water mixed with some lemon juice as described in the post above.

Nutrition

Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 92mg | Potassium: 1368mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 203mg | Iron: 7mg
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