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This one-pot Spinach Artichoke White Bean Soup packs all the flavors of your favorite party dip into a lightened-up soup. Ready in under 1 hour, it’s perfect for cozy weeknight dinners and meal prep. Vegan and Gluten-Free, Nut-Free Option.
This White Bean Spinach & Artichoke Soup is a lightened-up meal with the same creamy, garlicky goodness as Vegan Spinach and Artichoke Dip. Spinach, artichoke hearts, and white beans simmer in a comforting broth infused with cashew cream and melted dairy-free parmesan. The best part is that all you need is 50 minutes and one pot to make it!
Table of Contents
Party Dip Transformed into a Hearty Soup
Baked Spinach & Artichoke Dip is the GOAT of party dips 🐐. I love it so much that I’ve been taking its signature cheesy and savory flavors and putting them into easy pasta dinners, dump-and-bake vegan casseroles, and all kinds of other recipes.
The latest is this Spinach Artichoke White Bean Soup. It has everything I crave from the iconic dip, but in a light and creamy soup!
I combined the familiar ingredients—artichoke hearts, spinach, and parmesan—with soft white beans and simmered them in a silky, savory broth. The result is unbelievable! Creamy, garlicky dip vibes in soup form, with the bonus of being protein-packed and satisfying without the heaviness.
Ingredients for Spinach Artichoke Soup
This perfect party dip turned creamy, comforting soup calls for a mix of pantry staples, fresh aromatics, and simple seasonings. These are the key ingredients you’ll need:
- Cashews: raw cashews are soaked in water, then blended and transformed into a thick cashew cream for the soup.
- White Beans: this recipe works best with soft and buttery canned cannellini, navy, or butter beans.
- Artichoke Hearts: you can usually find canned quartered artichokes near the Italian ingredients in most well-stocked grocery stores. They’re quite large, so make sure you give them a good chop before stirring them into the soup.
- Seasonings: nutritional yeast adds an umami boost, while red pepper flakes bring a subtle kick of heat. You can omit one or both of the seasonings, but the soup will be missing some of the classic dip flavors.
- Broth: use imitation chicken broth if it’s available where you live (it makes the soup twice as savory). If you can’t find it, use vegetable broth instead.
- Spinach: frozen spinach (thawed and drained ahead of time) can be thrown right into the soup. If you’re using fresh baby spinach, chop the leaves beforehand.
- Parmesan Cheese: I opt for a vegan parmesan that will melt into the soup, like grated Violife dairy-free parmesan.
How to Make Spinach Artichoke White Bean Soup
- Thaw the spinach and soak the cashews in water.
- Meanwhile, sauté the shallots in a pot until translucent. Add in the garlic, nutritional yeast, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Sauté until fragrant.
- Stir the artichokes, beans, broth, and 2 cups of water into the pot, then cover. Boil the soup, then uncover and reduce the heat. Simmer the soup.
- Blend the cashews and the remaining cup of water until smooth.
- Stir the cashew cream, spinach, and parmesan into the soup, then simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Adjust the seasonings to taste.
- Divide the soup between bowls and top with fresh parsley and extra parmesan. Serve warm and enjoy.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Quick soak the cashews: Soaked cashews are softer and easier to transform into an ultra-smooth cashew cream. If you don’t have time to soak them in water overnight, add them to a bowl, pour boiling water over the top, and let them soak for at least 10 minutes. Or you can try the fastest method: Place the cashews and room temperature water in a heat-proof bowl and microwave for 2 minutes.
- Squeeze the extra liquid from the thawed spinach. Frozen spinach contains a lot of excess water, which can dilute the soup and mute its flavors if you don’t drain it ahead of time. Trust me, taking the time to thaw the spinach and squeeze out the extra water by hand is worth it.
- You may need to adjust the consistency. This soup is naturally thick and hearty, but if it thickens too much, thin it out with an extra splash of water or broth. Alternatively, if you want an even thicker soup, simply mash some of the beans directly in the pot before adding the cashew cream.
Serving Suggestions
This spinach and artichoke soup calls for toppings! Feel free to keep it simple with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and more grated vegan parm, OR add an herby, lemony pop with a scoop of the herb gremolata from my Pasta with Peas Recipe. It’s so bright and beautiful—perfect for a spring or summer lunch!
As for the sides, I always like to have crusty sourdough or slices of this No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread on the side for dunking. A side salad, like this Kale and Chickpea Salad or this Cucumber Dill Salad, rounds out the meal perfectly.
If you’re looking for more spinach and artichoke dip-inspired recipes, you’ll also love this Spinach & Artichoke Chickpea Salad, these Spinach & Artichoke Puff Pastry Pinwheels, and this Spinach & Artichoke Pasta Salad!
Or, if you’re looking for more creamy vegan soups, you’ll also love this Vegan Tortellini Soup, this Vegan Potato Soup, and this Vegan Zuppa Toscana.
How to Store Leftover Spinach Artichoke Soup
Once the leftover soup has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.
To reheat, warm the soup on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave in 30-second intervals. If the consistency has thickened in the fridge, stir in a splash of water or broth until it’s thinner. I also like to squeeze some lemon juice into each serving to brighten the flavors.
Substitutions and Variations
- Nut-Free Variation: If you can’t have cashews, omit them and the extra 1 cup of water from the recipe. During step 5, replace the cashew cream with 1/2 cup of full-fat canned coconut milk or 1/4 cup of vegan heavy whipping cream mixed with 1/4 cup of water.
- White Bean Substitute: The white beans can be substituted for an equal amount of chickpeas, but you’ll notice them more in the soup.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. Add all of the ingredients (except the cashew cream, spinach, and lemon juice) to the crockpot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Stir in the cashew cream and spinach during the last 30 minutes, then adjust the seasonings to taste.
Yes, but you’ll need to increase the amount to 5 or 6 cups instead. Chop the leaves well and stir them into the soup with the cashew cream.
If you prefer dried beans over canned, just make sure to cook them fully before starting this recipe. You will need 3 cups of cooked white beans to keep the flavors and textures balanced.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Spinach Artichoke Soup with White Beans (Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 shallots fine dice (or sub 1/2 red onion)
- 3-5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast optional
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 2 15.5 ounce cans white beans (cannelini, navy, or butter beans), drained and rinsed; about 3 cups cooked beans
- 1 15.5 ounce can quartered artichokes chopped into 1” pieces
- 3 cups imitation chicken broth (or sub vegetable broth)
- 3 cups water, divided
- 12 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and extra liquid squeezed out
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese* plus more for serving (I used dairy-free)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice about 1/2 small lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Prep: Set the frozen spinach out to thaw if you have not done so already. Add the cashews to a medium bowl. Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil and pour over the cashews; set aside to soak for at least 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can place the cashews and the same amount of room temperature water into a bowl and microwave for 2 minutes, then set aside.
- Aromatics: In the meantime warm the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, nutritional yeast, red pepper flakes, and black pepper to taste; sauté until fragrant and the bottom of the pot begins to brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Simmer: Add the artichokes, beans, broth, and 2 cups of the water to the pot; mix well, then cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then uncover and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cashew Cream: In the meantime, drain the cashews and add then to a high-speed or bullet blender with the remaining cup of water. Blend on high for 30 to 60 seconds, until a smooth “cream” forms. Set aside.
- Make it Creamy: Once the soup has simmered for 10 minutes, add the cashew cream, spinach, and parmesan to the pot. Stir well and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the soup has thickened slightly. If the soup gets to thick for your liking you can thin it out with additional water.
- Final Touches: Turn the heat off and stir in the lemon juice. Sample the broth; add additional lemon juice, salt, and/or pepper to taste, as needed.
- Serve: Divide the soup between serving bowls and top with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and extra parmesan. Serve warm. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Parmesan: I like to use Violife dairy-free parmesan and grate it myself. If you don’t want to use vegan parmesan, increase the nutritional yeast to 2 tablespoons and leave the parmesan out of the recipe.
- Nut-Free: Omit the cashews and extra 1 cup of water. Replace the cashew cream in step 5 with 1/2 cup (120 ml) of full-fat coconut milk, or 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegan heavy whipping cream and 1/4 cup water
This soup was really good, just what I needed on a cold spring day!
Wonderful! I’m glad you enjoyed, Shirley!
Easy, and simple recipes
Very good soup! I was initially hoping it would be a tad thicker when I made it but the flavors were phenomenal and it was even better the next day. It was also easier to make than I expected, which is always a plus. I added a bit more lemon juice than the recipe calls for and it brightened everything up nicely. Also, dipping warm bread into this is amazing! <3
I’m so happy you enjoyed, Haley!