15-Minute Broccoli and White Bean Soup

Updated: September 6, 2022

broccoli and white bean soup

Summer may be over, but there’s one tasty reason to be excited about fall…

It’s soup season! And today I want to share one of my favorite bone-healthy soup recipes.

By adding a whole head of broccoli, you pack in a whopping amount of vitamin C. Not to mention hefty servings of calcium, magnesium, and potassium too. You’ll get even more of these three minerals from the cannellini beans… plus a protein boost! And ALL of these help you build stronger bones.  

This recipe has so much to offer and is ready in just 15 minutes! So let’s get started!

broccoli and white bean soup

Broccoli and White Bean Soup

This 15-minute soup recipe offers bone-building vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. And it tastes delicious!
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people
Calories 192 kcal

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 shallot thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 medium head broccoli
  • 14 oz can cannellini beans drained & rinsed
  • 875 ml vegetable stock low-sodium
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Optional Toppings

  • chili flakes
  • pumpkin seeds

Instructions
 

  • Chop the broccoli into florets. Slice remaining pieces of stalk into thin pieces. 
  • In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
  • Add shallot slices and saute for a few minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
  • Add broccoli, beans, and stock. Cover and simmer for around 5 minutes, until the broccoli is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Using a blender, blend the soup until completely smooth. You can also use an immersion blender or food processor if you have one handy.
  • Garnish with toppings of your choice!

Notes

Note: Nutrition facts are calculated automatically by a computer program. There’s no option for a low-sodium broth ingredient in the program, so the nutrition facts are calculated using a regular broth. The amount of sodium will be much less than stated if you use low-sodium broth, or a homemade broth.
 
Get creative with your garnishes! My favorite bone-healthy options include cheese, a dollop of Greek yogurt, and pumpkin seeds. And if you’re feeling like an extra kick, a dash of paprika or chili flakes will do the trick!

Nutrition

Calories: 192kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 11gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1127mgPotassium: 501mgFiber: 9gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1394IUVitamin C: 136mgCalcium: 137mgIron: 4mg
Keyword broccoli, soup
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Takeaways

This soup ticks off so many boxes. It’s easy to make, takes only 15 minutes, and delivers 5 bone-building nutrients in each delicious spoonful. And I don’t have to hear my husband’s usual complaints about broccoli!

Hot or cold, toppings or no toppings, there are so many ways to make this soup your own. My favorite is with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds. 

I’d love to hear your ideas and look forward to reading them in the comments section below!

Article Comments

5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Recipe Rating




  1. William D. Mengers

    July 17, 2020 , 6:33 am

    Oil’s not good. It damages your endothelium, the inner lining of your arteries. Especially not good for heart patients. I am going to try this without the oil. Sounds tasty.

  2. Blaire AlgaeCal

    July 17, 2020 , 3:20 pm

    Hi William,

    While olive oil is typically healthy for most people, you can certainly adjust the recipe for your needs! We hope you enjoy it ?

    – Blaire @ AlgaeCal

  3. martha simmons

    July 17, 2020 , 11:40 am

    The high protein count is great plus the other boxes this soup ticks off. But there is no serving size. Please advise so I know how much I must eat for those great benefits.

  4. Megan AlgaeCal

    July 21, 2020 , 3:00 pm

    Hi Martha!

    One serving is approximately 1.5 cups. Hope you enjoy the recipe! 😀

    -Megan @ AlgaeCal

  5. Lynn

    July 19, 2020 , 5:16 pm

    I thought salt was bad for your bones. Isn’t this a tremendous amount of salt in this recipe??

  6. Megan AlgaeCal

    July 21, 2020 , 11:32 am

    Hi Lynn, thanks for bringing this up!

    We’ll be updating our page to include a little note explaining this. Unfortunately, the database for the nutrition facts calculator we use doesn’t contain low-sodium ingredients. So the label you see reflects using regular broth and not rinsing the canned beans.

    By using low-sodium broth and rinsing the cannellini beans, you’ll greatly reduce the sodium content. Hope this helps! 🙂

    -Megan @ AlgaeCal

  7. Celia

    July 30, 2020 , 10:05 am

    Use himalayan pink salt.

  8. Megan AlgaeCal

    July 30, 2020 , 10:54 am

    Hi Celia!

    While Himalayan pink salt may provide some additional minerals, keep in mind it’s still a source of sodium. Having said that, you can definitely use Himalayan pink salt in this recipe 🙂

    -Megan @ AlgaeCal

  9. Deborah Vangerud

    August 8, 2020 , 6:13 am

    Use kosher salt! that is all i ever use because table salt is way to salty. I can use very little kosher salt and still get the dish seasoned perfectly

  10. Blaire AlgaeCal

    August 10, 2020 , 12:44 pm

    Thanks for sharing, Deborah! ❤️

    – Blaire @ AlgaeCal

  11. Pia Fico

    August 20, 2021 , 8:01 pm

    Even better to use is Himalayan Pink Salt which contains many minerals.

  12. Anita Michaud

    February 16, 2021 , 9:40 pm

    This looks delicious

  13. Megan AlgaeCal

    February 17, 2021 , 8:55 am

    It tastes delicious too, Anita!

    Hope you’ll give it a try and love it as much as we do 😀

    -Megan @ AlgaeCal

  14. Laurie

    September 22, 2021 , 10:00 pm

    It sounds wonderful. I’m going to make it tomorrow. How many servings does it make?

  15. Ishneet AlgaeCal

    September 24, 2021 , 12:19 am

    Hi Laurie!

    It makes 4 servings. Hope you enjoy the recipe! ?

    -Ishneet @ AlgaeCal

  16. Dottie

    September 23, 2021 , 3:43 am

    It looks easy and yummy
    I would like to print just the recipe without the video. Do you have a link that I can do that.

  17. Ishneet AlgaeCal

    September 27, 2021 , 12:27 am

    Hi Dottie!

    We are so glad to know that you liked our soup recipe. Here is a link that you can use to take a print! 🙂

    -Ishneet @ AlgaeCal

  18. Loretta

    September 23, 2021 , 10:12 am

    This recipe sounds yummy!
    However, my digestive system cannot tolerate broccoli, cauliflower etc..

    What would be a good substitute.

    Thank you?

  19. Ishneet AlgaeCal

    September 27, 2021 , 12:31 am

    Hi Loretta!

    Thank you so much for reaching out! The top broccoli/ cauliflower substitutes include cruciferous vegetables from the same family (Brassicaceae) such as green cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts and Swiss chard. Hope that helps! 🙂

    -Ishneet @ AlgaeCal

  20. bob covey

    September 23, 2021 , 12:54 pm

    NUTRITION LIST SAYS 1127 MG OF HOW?

  21. Ishneet AlgaeCal

    September 27, 2021 , 12:35 am

    Hi Bob, Thank you for reaching out!

    We’ll be updating our page to include a little note explaining this. Unfortunately, the database for the nutrition facts calculator we use doesn’t contain low-sodium ingredients. So the label you see reflects using regular broth and not rinsing the canned beans.

    By using low-sodium broth and rinsing the cannellini beans, you’ll greatly reduce the sodium content. Hope this helps! ?

    -Ishneet @ AlgaeCal

  22. Myra McLane

    September 24, 2021 , 12:23 pm

    Too much sodium.

  23. Ishneet AlgaeCal

    September 27, 2021 , 12:45 am

    Thank you for sharing your concern, Myra!

    Unfortunately, the database for the nutrition facts calculator we use doesn’t contain low-sodium ingredients. So the label you see reflects using regular broth and not rinsing the canned beans.

    By using low-sodium broth and rinsing the cannellini beans, you’ll greatly reduce the sodium content. Hope this helps! ?

    -Ishneet @ AlgaeCal

  24. Karen Schaffer

    October 3, 2021 , 8:49 am

    Looks good, but sodium is high and I’m taking blood pressure pills. I’m suppose to watch how much salt I take in.

  25. Kirby Johnson

    October 4, 2021 , 9:57 am

    Hi Myra,

    Thanks for sharing your feedback – sorry to hear our recipe might not be a great fit for you. You can greatly reduce the sodium content of this recipe by using low-sodium broth and rinsing the cannellini beans. Hope this helps!

    Kirby @ AlgaeCal

  26. Nancy Campbell

    November 12, 2021 , 8:50 am

    Make your own vegetable stock & omit salt or add how ever much you want. Easy to make your own. Plus it is better for you & can always freeze what you don’t use.

  27. Ishneet AlgaeCal

    November 15, 2021 , 1:22 am

    Hi Nancy!

    You’re absolutely right! It’s always a great idea to swap out ingredients that you prefer and make it a perfect fit for you! Thanks so much for sharing and let us know what you think of our other recipes!

    -Ishneet @ AlgaeCal

  28. Juanita Erkenbeck

    September 28, 2021 , 10:21 am

    How can I print this recipe?

  29. Kirby Johnson

    September 28, 2021 , 2:13 pm

    Hi Juanita,

    Sorry for any trouble! You can find a small green bar on the left-hand side of your screen while browsing through the article. The last box in that bar has a printer icon which should allow you to print out the recipe details (below pinterest, twitter, email, etc). Please let us know if we can provide any additional detail or if the options don’t appear for you!

    – Kirby @ AlgaeCal

  30. Marsha Rueff

    October 2, 2021 , 10:31 am

    A lovely idea, and why not start with the beans from scratch instead of canned, and then you can skim the foam off the beans, and add the broccoli once the beans are soft in just about 40 minutes. Fresh always outweighs canned beans, especially ordered from Purcell Mountain Farms for organic heirloom Northern Beans, or White Cannellini Beans. Organic offers so much more. Thank you for great recipe idea.

  31. Kirby Johnson

    October 4, 2021 , 10:58 am

    Hi Marsha,

    You’re absolutely right, Marsha! It’s always best to source your ingredients from local farms if you can; we encourage you to swap out ingredients that you prefer and make it a perfect fit for you! Thanks so much for sharing and let us know what you think of our other recipes!

    Kirby @ AlgaeCal

  32. KimC

    November 21, 2021 , 9:05 am

    Maybe i missed it but what is a serving size? I do not see it listed with the nutritional info.

  33. Ishneet AlgaeCal

    November 22, 2021 , 2:57 pm

    Hi KimC!

    One serving is approximately 1.5 cups. Hope you enjoy the recipe! ?

    -Ishneet @ AlgaeCal

  34. Fran

    January 7, 2022 , 6:58 am

    I’m adding a sweet potato and maybe a little spinach. I’m so happy I found this recipe. I hate cooking. ?. This is fast and easy.

  35. Kirby Johnson

    January 10, 2022 , 11:16 am

    Fran,

    We love your creative additions! Even though you aren’t keen on cooking, it sounds as if you’re doing wonderful work to support your bone health. Keep up all your fantastic efforts!

    – Kirby @ AlgaeCal

  36. Sheila Lorentzen

    May 14, 2022 , 7:33 pm

    5 stars
    Easy and tasty

This article features advice based on cutting-edge research from our industry experts to give you the best possible information to support your bone-building journey.

Lara Pizzorno
MDiv, MA, LMT - Best-selling author of Healthy Bones Healthy You! and Your Bones; Editor of Longevity Medicine Review, and Senior Medical Editor for Integrative Medicine Advisors.,
Dr. Liz Lipski
PhD, CNS, FACN, IFMP, BCHN, LDN - Professor and Director of Academic Development, Nutrition programs in Clinical Nutrition at Maryland University of Integrative Health.,
Dr. Emma Gasinski
PT, DPT, RYT - Physical therapist and certified yoga teacher with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professionals,
Dr. Lawrence (Larry) A. May
MD, FACP, Harvard Medical School Graduate, Physician, Author, Public Speaker - Doctor of Internal Medicine at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center and author of several articles and books, including the widely utilized and best selling medical textbook Primary Care Medicine,