Cannellini Minestrone with Swiss Chard Recipe

If you love soups and stews as much as I do, then this cannellini minestrone with Swiss chard is for you. This soup is complete, as it includes not only white beans and vegetables but also fresh chard.

A bowl of vegetable soup with beans, carrots, spinach, celery, and a spoon on a white surface.

It’s like eating soup and salad at the same time. But the best part is the crunchy texture and color that the chard adds, giving this stew an unmatched freshness.

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Bowls of diced carrots, celery, onions, tomatoes, bacon, minced garlic, and sprigs of fresh thyme on a marble surface.

A Soup That’s Here to Stay

I’m all about comfort food. I love soups, stews, and a good meat or fish boil. I think my grandma Ligia had a lot to do with this taste, as she always served soup at lunch.

The first time I made this white bean and chard stew was when I still lived in Miami. I remember having to wait for the weather to get “cold” to enjoy it. And I made it again the following year. Year after year.

Luckily, now that I live in Charlotte, North Carolina, soups are back to stay on my daily menu, with their comforting effect, because they’re not only nourishment for the body but also for the soul.

Buen provecho!

Enri

Enri Lemoine 2025

Ingredients

Diced celery, onions, and bacon sautéing in a pot with a wooden spoon.

To prepare this white bean and chard stew you’ll need:

How to Make White Bean Soup with Chard

Diced carrots, celery, and onions being sautéed in a pot with a wooden spoon.
  1. In a pot, cook the white beans in water until soft, tender but firm.
  2. Sauté the bacon in a skillet and prepare a sofrito with a little olive oil, onion, garlic, and celery. When the sofrito starts to wilt, add the carrots and tomatoes.
  3. Add the sofrito and a thyme bouquet to the pot with the beans and cook so the flavors blend together. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Before serving, discard the thyme bouquet and adjust the seasoning. Serve with fresh chard cut just before bringing to the table.
A bunch of Swiss chard and a knife on a wooden cutting board.

Pro Tip for a Thick Bean Soup

Set aside one cup of cooked beans with a little of the broth, and blend it. Return this purée to the pot and that’s it: you’ll have a nice thick stew without needing to add potatoes or pasta.

FAQs

Two bowls of vegetable soup, a bowl of chopped greens, and two spoons on a napkin on a white surface.
Two bowls of soup with white beans, tomatoes, and topped with fresh greens, on a light marble surface.

Other Legume Recipes You’ll Love

Two bowls of hearty Cannellini Minestrone with spinach, carrots, and tomatoes, each with a spoon inside.

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Two bowls of Cannellini Minestrone with Swiss chard, tomatoes, and a spoon in each bowl rest on a light surface.
A bowl of vegetable soup with beans, carrots, spinach, celery, and a spoon on a white surface.
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White Bean and Chard Soup

This white bean and chard stew is the definition of comfort food. With its combination of legumes, vegetables, and fresh chard, it’s a complete and flavorful dish, ideal to enjoy slowly, spoon in hand.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 280kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb (450 g) white beans
  • 8 cups (2 liters) water
  • 4 slices (80 g / 3 oz) bacon, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
  • 1 cup (150 g), onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves (6 g) garlic, minced
  • 2 cups (200 g) celery, chopped
  • 1 cup (130 g) carrot, diced
  • 2 cups (300 g) tomatoes, diced
  • 4 cups (200 g) chard leaves, cut into stripes
  • 1 bunch fresh thyme sprigs or 1½ tablespoons (3 g) dried thyme
  • Coarse sea salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook the beans with the water, uncovered.
  • Once it comes to a boil, boil for 10 minutes, lower the heat to medium-low and cook covered for about 45 minutes, until the beans are tender but not falling apart.
  • Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, sauté the bacon for about 3–4 minutes. With a spoon, remove and discard half of the fat.
  • Add the olive oil to the skillet with the bacon and sauté the onions, garlic, and celery for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the carrot and tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes.
  • With a cup or ladle, remove about 1½–2 cups of beans with some of the broth they cooked in. In a blender, blend until a thick, smooth mixture forms. Add this bean cream to the pot with the soup.
  • Put the beans back on medium heat and add the sofrito and thyme. Cook covered for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Remove the thyme bouquet, adjust the seasoning, and serve with fresh chard cut just before bringing to the table.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
White Bean and Chard Soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 280 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Trans Fat 0.01g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 7mg2%
Sodium 166mg7%
Potassium 1348mg39%
Carbohydrates 41g14%
Fiber 11g46%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 16g32%
Vitamin A 4226IU85%
Vitamin C 15mg18%
Calcium 180mg18%
Iron 7mg39%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Soups
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: cannellini and Swiss Chard minestrone recipe, Cannellini minestrone with chards recipe, white bean soup with Swiss chard

Notes

Like all beans, this soup tastes better the next day.
Enri

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