This slow cooker Italian white bean soup is rich, creamy, and dairy-free, thanks to a coconut milk and sun-dried tomato broth. An easy, hearty Italian bean soup with pasta the whole family will love, and it’s perfect for busy weeknights. {Vegan & gluten-free friendly}
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Italian Cannellini Bean Soup Recipe – So Hearty!
Elysia’s Recipe Recap
Time to cozy up with this hearty slow cooker Tuscan white bean soup! It gets ultra creamy from a coconut milk and sun-dried tomato base, then gets bulked up with pasta, white cannellini beans, and fresh spinach for a comforting Italian-inspired meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights. It’s all done in one pot and no standing over the stove required!
Soup season is one of my favorite times of year, since it means I can lean on my slow cooker to get dinner going while I handle school pickups, work, and everything else on the schedule. As someone who is health-conscious but raising growing kids, I love vegetarian meals that are filling enough that nobody’s asking for a snack an hour later. This one checks every box, with nearly 20 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber per serving!
If you’re looking for other hearty soup recipes, be sure to try my Italian Sausage Spinach Soup, Turkey Sausage Kale Soup and High Protein Lasagna Soup too!
Before You Get Started:
I’ve made this white bean pasta soup enough times to have a few tried-and-true tricks:
- Don’t skip blending the base fully. A partially blended mix leaves the broth thinner and less rich. I use a mini blender (we love the Ninja) to blend the coconut milk and sun-dried tomato mixture, since it makes the base ultra silky.
- Use reduced-sodium broth and beans. As an RD, this is one of my favorite ways to keep a soup flavorful without it turning overly salty, since you can adjust seasoning at the end instead.
- Chop the spinach for picky eaters. As a mom of picky eaters myself, I’ve found that finely chopping the baby spinach makes it far less noticeable to kids (and some adults).
- Expect the soup to thicken as it sits. The pasta and beans keep absorbing liquid. A splash of extra broth when reheating brings it right back.
- A Parmesan rind simmered in the broth (if you don’t need it vegan) adds a surprising amount of savory depth for almost no extra effort.
- Cook pasta separately for meal prep. If you’re making this ahead or know you’ll have leftovers for a few days, cook the pasta separately and stir it in per bowl. It keeps the noodles from soaking up too much broth and going mushy.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Coconut milk: Use full-fat canned coconut milk (not evaporated coconut milk or the coconut beverage in a carton) for the best results. It makes the soup really creamy, while keeping it dairy-free and vegan for those with specific dietary requirements.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: Sun-dried tomatoes have a really rich taste and add a great burst of flavor when pureed into the base of the soup. Drain the oil from them before using.
- White beans: Use canned cannellini beans or white kidney beans, preferably with low or no sodium. You can also sub in great northern beans, navy beans, or your own cooked beans. If opting for canned beans, drain and rinse well before adding to the slow cooker.
- Pasta: I like to make this with rotini pasta, but penne, fusilli, or bow tie will all work well. Use gluten-free pasta if you require the recipe to be gluten-free.
Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean and Spinach Soup
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion until softened and fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. (You can also do this step right in the slow cooker if it has a sauté function.)
- Meanwhile, add the coconut milk, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and salt to a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth.
- Add the blended mixture to the slow cooker along with the diced tomatoes, white beans, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine. Cook on Low for 4–6 hours or High for 2–3 hours.
- When there’s about 30 minutes left on the timer, turn the slow cooker to High (if it isn’t already) and stir in the dry pasta.
- Stir in the spinach during the last 5 minutes of cooking, just until wilted. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, and serve warm with your favorite fresh herbs.
RD Tip: Sautéing the onion first is optional, but it adds a noticeably deeper flavor to the finished white bean pasta soup. It’s worth the extra 5 minutes if you have it.
If you prefer, you can also prepare this soup in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop!
Stovetop Method: Sauté the onion in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the coconut milk mixture, diced tomatoes, white beans, and vegetable broth, and let simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the pasta and spinach, and cook until the pasta is tender, about 10–12 minutes.
Instant Pot Method: Add all ingredients except the pasta and spinach. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, then let it naturally release for 10 minutes. Stir in cooked pasta and fresh spinach just before serving.
Scroll to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Recipe Variations
- Add more vegetables: Load up on fresh veggies, like bell peppers or mushrooms. If you choose to add more, sauté them along with the onions first. You can also replace the spinach with chopped kale.
- Add more protein: If you don’t require the soup to be meatless, this soup also tastes great made with diced chicken, sweet Italian sausage or hot Italian sausage for a spicy kick. You can also substitute protein pasta, like Banza.
- For extra heat: Stir in ½ to 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes with the broth.
- Even more Italian flavor: One of my favorite tricks is to toss a Parmesan rind into the slow cooker while the soup cooks (if you don’t need it to stay vegan). It slowly melts into the broth, adding incredible savory depth. Just remove the rind before serving.
Storage & Reheating Guidelines
To refrigerate: You can store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You may wish to add some more broth before serving since the pasta will absorb some of the liquid and cause it to thicken as it sits.
To freeze: This white bean soup will keep well frozen for up to 6 months. However, if you plan to freeze it, I recommend cooking the noodles separately and adding the cooked pasta just before serving.
To reheat: Reheat in a large pot over medium heat until warmed through. You can also pop it into the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
With plenty of pasta, veggies, and beans, this Tuscan bean and pasta soup is a full meal on its own. We like it topped with grated Parmesan and chopped fresh basil or parsley, plus a drizzle of pesto (this dairy free pesto recipe is a favorite) for extra freshness.
For a soup-and-salad night, pair it with my healthy Caesar salad. The sharp dressing balances the rich tomato broth nicely. Crusty whole grain bread or garlic toast is great for dipping, too.
More Vegetarian Soup Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Italian Soup with White Beans
Video
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 14oz can full-fat coconut milk
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained of oil
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 28oz can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
- 2 (19oz) cans low sodium white beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
- 1 cup whole grain or regular rotini pasta (gluten-free, if needed)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion until softened and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. You can also do this step in the slow cooker if it has a saute function.
- Meanwhile, in a blender, add coconut milk, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning and salt. Blend on high until smooth.
- Add the onion and coconut milk mixture to the slow cooker along with the diced tomatoes, white beans, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.
- When there is half an hour left on the timer, turn the heat to high (if it's not there already) and add in the dry pasta and stir. Stir in the spinach when there are five minutes left on the timer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm sprinkled with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil, if desired.
Notes
- I like to blend the coconut milk and sun-dried tomato mixture in a mini blender since it makes the mixture ultra smooth and creamy. You can use a regular blender too if that’s what you have.
- I like to chop the baby spinach up before adding it to the soup to make the spinach a bit more subtle and kid-friendly. This step is totally optional and you can add whole baby spinach in there as well. Frozen chopped spinach is a really subtle, yet convenient option too.
- The soup tends to thicken up the longer that it sits, so you may wish to add some extra broth to thin it out before serving.
- If you plan to make this soup hours before serving, you might want to cook the pasta separately and add it into the soup just before serving to prevent it from thickening it up too much and becoming mushy, but it’s a personal preference.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in November 2021 and was updated in October 2023 to include more helpful tips. The text, formatting and some photos were updated again in January 2026 and August 2026.
I make this with crushed tomatoes with basil and it’s even better than the original with diced tomatoes! I think this is my husband’s favorite meal- thank you
That sounds like such a delicious tweak — love the idea of using crushed tomatoes with basil! 😊 I can see how that would add even more flavor. And the fact that it’s your husband’s favorite meal is the ultimate compliment. Thank you so much for sharing!
Let me preface this review by saying we are a family who eats very meat-forward meals. In fact, my husband and I both have been eating a nearly carnivore diet for 2 months now. However, Lent has started and our church prescribes a plant-based vegan diet during Lent. Let me say, my entire family LOVED this recipe! I loved the simplicity, the affordability, the use of pantry staple ingredients, and the flavor bomb! We will be eating this soup once a week throughout Lent, and I foresee it making it into regular rotation afterwards.
Love this Kim!! I’m so glad you found a meatless meal that your family enjoys! Sometimes it’s good to have an excuse to step outside of the box and try something new :) This soup definitely comes in handy when you want/need to take a break from the meat. Glad you found a new recipe to add to your rotation!
What are your thoughts on using kale instead of spinach? I don’t enjoy the texture of cooked spinach.
Sure, you could definitely add some kale instead of spinach! Hope you enjoy :)
This was very tasty. Used beef broth and parm. Rind. Next time I will cook pasta separately, overcooked in half hour on high
So happy you enjoyed the soup! Love the addition of the parm rind too. Sorry to hear the pasta got overcooked, but good call on cooking the pasta separately. Every slow cooker cooks differently, but you could also try decreasing the cooking time in the slow cooker as well. Thanks for the feedback!
I don’t know if it’s because the coconut milk kind I used was a different brand than yours or something, but my batch ended up looking a lot lighter in colour and tasting distinctly of coconut (it also tastes too fat for my liking). Will try again with half the can of coconut milk (and substitute with an extra cup of broth) and see how it goes. I liked the seasoning and my husband LOVED It (didn’t really taste the coconut) so it’s definitely a winner, just needs a bit of tweaking on my side. I’m not in the US too so it could just be that the brands of coconut milk available over here are more concentrated than the ones you have access to!
Hmm, it could definitely have to do with the brand of coconut milk because I didn’t find that I noticed the coconut milk taste all that much. Did you use coconut cream by any chance? That could possibly explain the lighter color and extra fat content. I’m glad your husband loved it at least. Hope it works out better for you next time if you decide to try it again!
We typically use unsweetened cashew milk for a good savory milk alternative in cooking. Would recommend instead of coconut to avoid the coconut flavor. Looking forward to making this recipe this week!
I haven’t personally tested it, but you could definitely try it with the cashew milk! It might not be quite as creamy, but it would eliminate the coconut flavor. Keep me posted on how it turns out if you try it!
if I want to use dry white beans instead, after soaking, when can I add them to the crock pot? Or what would you recommend? Thanks in advance!
After soaking, you should be able to add them right at the start of the cooking time. They typically take about 5-6 hours to cook on low or 3-4 hours on high. Hope that helps! Enjoy the recipe :)
Edit: I only found evaporated coconut milk. I wasn’t sure what to look for. A picture or more info would be helpful 😊
I’ve only used coconut milk sparingly in recipes, so not really sure what to use here (full fat vs evaporated-what’s the difference?). I bought evaporated coconut milk in a can, will that work in this recipe?
I apologize for the confusion! I’ll add a note to the recipe. Evaporated coconut milk is thicker and more concentrated and also has a stronger coconut flavor than regular canned coconut milk. That’s because the water content has been removed, leaving behind a higher proportion of coconut solids. It may still work for this recipe, but you might want to add a bit less or increase the broth a bit if you find that it’s too thick and creamy. Hope it still works out for you!
Love this soup!! It’s delicious! Wondering what a serving size is? 8oz? I used chickpea barilla rotini for a little extra protein!
So happy you enjoyed the soup! I would say a serving size would be about 8-12 ounces. Love how you used chickpea pasta for an added protein boost!
Was too much for my small crock pot, didn’t see anywhere a guide for how big of a crock pot I needed. Had to put some of the tomatoes and juice in a regular pot and then once the stuff cooked, add more of it to the regular pot before adding the noodles and spinach.
Sorry about that! I used a 5-quart slow cooker and that worked out well for the quantity of soup. I’m glad you were able to find a way to still make it work. Hope you still enjoyed the soup :)
Are The macros you have listed for 1/6 of this recipe? Since I do count macros most of the time I appreciate your listing them.
Yes, that’s correct! The macros are for approximately 1/6th of the soup. Hope that helps!