The 4-Ingredient Soup I Make When I’m Short on Time and Need Comfort

Inspired by Marcella Hazan’s famous white bean soup, this version is just as easy and takes just 4 ingredients and 20 minutes to make.

Overhead view of a white bowl of white bean and spinach soup with a spoon next to a plate of bread and bowl of lemon slices — Simply Recipes / Alexandra Shytsman

I’ll admit, when I first heard of Marcella Hazan 3-ingredient white bean soup, I was skeptical. Just garlic, olive oil, white beans, and broth can make a complete soup? Not even a bit of sautéed onion? No spices? It sounded too good to be true. But being a big fan of both white beans and creamy soups, I had to at least try it. After all, with just three pantry ingredients, the stakes were low.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the simple technique did indeed yield a real soup! A creamy, super garlicky, soul-soothing soup that went right into my weeknight rotation.

My Spin on the Classic Soup

And then—because to me, dinner just isn’t complete without some sort of vegetable—I started brainstorming how I could build on this dish, and my mind eventually arrived at baby spinach. Quick-cooking? Check. Pretty color? Check. Won’t overpower the delicate flavor of white beans? Check!

This incredibly simple soup is thick, rich but not heavy, and feels way fancier than you’d expect from the minimal amount of work involved. I mean, there is literally zero chopping! This recipe is a true godsend for lazy weeknight cooks. (And aren’t we all sometimes?)

A quick note on seasoning: I like to wait until the very end to add any salt to this soup, as canned beans and store-bought broth can be plenty salty. I usually add about a quarter teaspoon of fine sea salt.

Angled view of a white bowl of white bean and spinach soup with a spoon next to a plate of bread and bowl of lemon slices — Simply Recipes / Alexandra Shytsman

How To Make My 4-Ingredient Spinach White Bean Soup

For two quarts, or about four servings, you’ll need:

4 medium garlic cloves
3 (15-ounce) cans cannellini or great Northern beans
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups vegetable broth
1 (5-ounce) package baby spinach
2 tablespoons lemon juice, optional
Kosher salt, to taste
Crusty bread, for serving, optional

Grate the garlic on a rasp grater or crush it in a garlic press; set aside. Drain the beans in a colander, rinse under running water, and drain; set aside.

Add the oil and garlic to a medium pot over medium-low heat. Once the garlic starts to sizzle, cook it for 30 seconds; do not let it burn. Add the beans and pepper to the pot and stir to coat. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broth, bring it to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes more.

Add the spinach to the pot one handful at a time, stirring and allowing each addition to wilt before adding more. Once all the spinach is wilted, cook the soup for 1 minute more.

Remove the pot from the heat. Scoop out about half of the soup and set aside. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup still in the pot until the spinach is broken down and the mixture is creamy and speckled with green. Return the reserved soup to the pot, add the lemon juice (if using), and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with bread.

Overhead view of a white bowl of white bean and spinach soup on a plate with a spoon next to a plate of bread and bowl of lemon slices — Simply Recipes / Alexandra Shytsman

Using a Blender or Food Processor

If you don’t own an immersion blender, you can purée the soup in a food processor or a regular upright blender. Be very careful when puréeing hot liquids in an upright blender. It is essential that steam has a way to escape while you purée, so remember to take out the removable center of the blender lid before blending and loosely drape a kitchen towel over the opening.