One-Pot Green Bean Soup That Feels Like a Warm Hug

Traditional Green Bean Soup Recipes

Craving green beans? How about a cozy bowl of green bean soup?

Every cuisine has its own version of the best green bean soup recipe. In Mediterranean cooking, a classic is vegetable soup with beans and potatoes, made with tomatoes, olives, and garlic. In France, it’s cream of green bean soup blended into a smooth, creamy consistency. And of course, there’s Minestrone, a well-known Italian dish where green beans in soup pair with vegetables and pasta.

Eastern Europe has its own takes, too! Green bean and potato soup, a favorite in Ukraine, is thickened with sour cream for a rich, velvety texture. And then there’s Hungarian green bean soup, made with milk, sour cream, and flour. Its signature pinkish color comes from sweet paprika.

Love old-fashioned green bean and potato soup? Try this vegetarian version! It’s packed with beans, potatoes, veggies, butter, and spices for extra flavor. Traditionally, old-fashioned green bean soup is made with milk, but here, it’s even creamier with a mix of cream and sour cream. No ham or meat—just pure comfort. Want a smoky touch? Add vegetarian or vegan bacon, either on top or cooked right in!

Everything You Need to Know About Fresh Green Beans

There are so many varieties of green beans! They come in different colors, shapes, and lengths. They are in season from May to October so you can enjoy fresh green beans from spring to late autumn.

What’s the Difference Between Green Beans and Regular Beans?

Regular beans grow for their beans, and their pods develop a tough outer layer. Once the beans mature, they harden, so you can’t eat the pods.

On the other hand, green beans, also called string beans, are cooked whole. They have tender pods filled with jelly-like juice. You can sauté or steam fresh green beans or add them to soups and salads. A string bean soup with veggies and potatoes is a typical dish. But you can also sauté green beans in a pan with water, butter, and salt or make a delicious casserole.

How to Pick the Best Fresh Green Beans

No matter what dish you’re cooking, choosing the best green beans is key. So, how do you pick them? To find the freshest ones, snap a bean in half. If it breaks with a crisp snap, has no tough strings, and the beans inside are small and tender, you’ve found the best ones!

How to Make Green Bean Potato Soup

Let’s make green bean potato soup—a creamy, comforting soup. It’s easy to prepare, and you need simple ingredients! 

Ingredients You Need:

• Fresh green beans – Use green or yellow ones, but make sure they are young and tender. Check our tips on how to pick fresh green beans.. You can also use frozen or canned beans. Check our tips on how and when to add them for a delicious soup!
• Potatoes – Peel and chop them into small cubes. Since we are making potato green bean soup, we need plenty of potatoes—almost the same amount as the beans!
• Onion, carrot, and celery – Chop them into small pieces.
• Vegetable stock – Use homemade or store-bought. If using a bouillon cube, dissolve it in hot water first. Check if it’s salty—if it is, you might not need more salt. Taste and adjust the soup at the end.
• Butter and oil – For sautéing. We are using vegetable oil, but you can go for olive oil.
• Spices – Ground black pepper, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, and salt. We use whole cumin seeds. Rub them between your palms before you add them. This way, they release more flavor and make the soup extra aromatic.
• Sour cream – We use 24% fat sour cream—it’s the best choice. Use at least 15%, but not lower if you don’t have it. You can substitute it with Greek yogurt if you have it in your fridge.
• Heavy cream – We use 30% fat heavy cream. You can use a lower fat option, but make sure it’s at least 20%. Don’t go lower.
• All-purpose flour – Use flour, sour cream, and heavy cream to create a simple base for creamy green bean soup!
• Fresh green dill – Chop about two tablespoons for garnish. You can also use fresh green parsley instead.

Prep the Ingredients

Our green bean soup recipe cooks fast. So, prepare all your ingredients ahead of time. This way, you can add them right when needed!

Chop onion, carrot, and celery into small pieces. Chop potatoes into small cubes. Trim the ends of green beans and cut them into 2 cm (¾ inch) pieces.

Now, let’s make the creamy base! Add cream to the sour cream and give it a good stir. Pour about ¼ of it into the flour, a little at a time. Whisk well until it’s smooth. No lumps? Perfect! Add the rest of the cream and whisk again. That’s it! Set it aside, and we’ll use it soon.

Start Cooking

Heat a large non-stick pot over medium heat (we set ours to 6 out of 9). Add butter and oil. Once the butter melted, toss in the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until it turns translucent.

Look, the onions are getting soft! Now, add the chopped carrot and celery. Cook for 5 minutes and stir. 

Next, add the green beans and stir well. Cover with a lid and let them cook for five more minutes.

We are making potato and green bean soup, so add the potatoes and pour in the vegetable stock. If you use a bouillon cube, dissolve it in hot water first, then pour it in. All the veggies are in, so the base for our green bean vegetable soup is ready.

Season and Simmer

Time to season! Add the bay leaf, ground black pepper, and oregano.

Rub the cumin seeds between your palms before you add them—it brings out more flavor!

Bring the soup to a boil, cover, and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes until the green beans and potatoes are soft. Cooked green beans should be tender yet slightly crisp—perfect for soups!

Thicken the Soup

Now that the veggies are already cooked, let’s make the soup creamy and thicken it.

How to thicken up bean soup? Grab the sour cream and flour mixture from earlier. Stir it again, then slowly add it to the soup while you stir constantly. Look! The soup is thickening up. Keep stirring until it starts to bubble. Use a wooden or rubber spatula so the soup does not stick to the pot. 

Remove the bay leaves.

Final Touches

Taste the soup. If needed, add salt—we’re adding half a teaspoon now. Adjust the seasoning to get the perfect salt taste—start with a little and add more.

Finally, add some chopped fresh green dill. Once the soup boils, turn off the heat.

And that’s it—your green bean potato soup is ready! It’s creamy, perfectly spiced, and pretty quick. Plus, it’s a vegetarian green bean soup recipe with simple ingredients. And you don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen!

Ladle into soup bowls and serve it hot. Sprinkle with cracked black pepper, greens, or any garnish you love.

How Long Does Bean Soup Last in the Fridge?

Green bean soup stays fresh for up to five days in the fridge. Keep it in a sealed container so it keeps its flavor and doesn’t pick up any odors.

How to Freeze

Can you freeze bean soup? Yes, bean soup freezes well! Before freezing, let it cool completely. For the best taste, freeze it right after cooking. Avoid freezing if it has already been in the fridge for several days. Use freezer-safe bags or airtight containers. Label them with the date and name of the dish. Zip-top bags, freezer bags, and plastic, or glass containers all work—just make sure they’re safe for freezing.

Freeze soup in portions that match your needs. This way, you only defrost what you need without wasting any. Planning ahead? With this simple green bean soup recipe, you can easily make a big batch, freeze some, and enjoy the rest over the next few days. So convenient!

Store green bean soup with potatoes in the freezer for up to three months. 

How to Defrost

There are two easy ways to defrost green bean soup:

• Fridge Method
  Take the soup out of the freezer and place it in the fridge overnight. The next day, heat it until it boils, and enjoy!
• Quick Water Bath Method
  If you’re in a hurry, use a water bath. Place the frozen soup (still in its container) in a bowl of hot water. Make sure no water gets inside. Let frozen green bean soup sit for about 30 minutes. Then, take it out of the container or freezer bag and heat it until it boils. Enjoy!

Frozen Green Beans, Fresh Green Beans, or Canned Beans – Which One to Use?

This soup with fresh beans is one of our favorite green bean recipes. But you don’t necessarily need to use fresh beans. You can also use frozen green beans—they’re super convenient and available year-round at any grocery store. You can even freeze your own! Just wash, trim the ends, blanch the beans, and freeze them in airtight containers. The soup with frozen green beans tastes just as good as with fresh ones.

So, how do you make green bean soup with frozen beans?

No need to defrost them! Add them at the same time as fresh green beans in this recipe. Frozen beans are only blanched, not cooked, so the cooking method and time stay the same.

Another quick option? Canned green bean soup! Since canned green beans are already partially cooked, add them towards the end of cooking to keep them from getting too soft. So, just go with the recipe and use frozen beans.

How to add canned green beans to this soup?

Canned green beans cook in half the time—or even less—compared to fresh ones. Open the can, drain the liquid, and rinse the beans. Add the potatoes first and let them simmer for 15 minutes. Then, add the canned beans. Cook for five more minutes, taste, and if they’re not tender enough, let them cook a bit longer.

How to Enhance the Flavor

You don’t have to stick to a strict green bean soup recipe! Use vegetable stock or any stock you have on hand. No stock? No problem—use water and add a thickener like cheese, creme fraiche, or heavy cream. Check more options below.

Want a spicy kick? Sprinkle chili flakes on top, or add a dash of hot sauce.

For a vegetable soup with green beans, toss in more vegetables like carrots, celery, leeks, onions, or garlic for extra flavor. The best spices for fresh green bean soup are paprika, ground black pepper, oregano, cumin, and bay leaves. A splash of lemon juice adds a nice touch of acidity.

For extra aroma, sprinkle fresh green herbs like dill or parsley.

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions

Missing some ingredients? No worries! You can easily swap a few ingredients in green bean soups. Here are some great alternatives for this recipe:

• Sour cream – Swap it for Greek yogurt. You can also use a lower-fat sour cream, but not less than 15% fat.
• Heavy cream – A lower-fat option works too, but make sure it’s at least 20% fat.
• Green beans – Use frozen or canned beans instead of fresh. Check our tips on how and when to add them to make your soup just as delicious.

You need a thickener to make soups with green beans creamy and thick. No heavy cream, sour cream, or flour at hand? Try these options:

• Heavy cream + flour
• Sour cream + milk + flour
• Crème fraîche
• Melted cheese (such as cheddar)

Thinking about adding cheese? Not all cheeses melt well in soups! In our cheddar potato soup recipe, we explain how to choose cheddar cheese or any cheese that melts perfectly in soups. Some cheeses won’t melt properly and can turn grainy. Want a creamy, cheesy soup? Check out our blog post on how to choose cheese for soups! 

How to Adapt This Recipe to Your Diet

Following a special diet? You can easily adjust green bean soup recipes to fit your needs. Here are a few ways to make this soup work for your diet:

• Gluten-Free: All ingredients in this recipe are gluten-free, except for flour. You can thicken up the soup with cheddar cheese. It adds great flavor but won’t make the soup as thick. Check our tips on choosing the best cheddar for soups. Also, check if your vegetable bouillon is gluten-free, as some brands contain gluten.
• Low-Carb: Want a low-carb version? Simply skip the potatoes and flour. Add double the amount of beans to make the soup more filling. Instead of flour, thicken the soup with cheese or crème fraîche. Simple, low-carb, and delicious!
• More Protein: Want extra protein? Fry some smoked tofu—it takes less than 10 minutes! You can do this while the soup cooks. Ladle the soup into a bowl and top it with crispy fried tofu. Or use vegan or vegetarian bacon for a protein-packed topping. Another easy option? Sprinkle some cooked edamame on top for extra plant-based protein!

More Recipes with Beans

Love beans and looking for more delicious recipes? Here are some must-try dishes:

• Black Bean Soup – A quick and easy one-pot soup made with canned black beans. It’s packed with flavor and rich in plant-based protein!
• Bean Stew Recipe – Creamy, soft white beans simmered in a rich, aromatic tomato sauce. You only need a few simple ingredients, and it’s a one-pot dish! Use canned white beans for a quick version.
• Black-Eyed Pea Soup – A hearty soup with delicious vegetables and plant-based protein. You can use canned black-eyed peas or cook them from scratch. Want to make them extra tasty? Check out our blog post on how to cook black-eyed peas perfectly!

Ukrainian Mushroom Soup – Love creamy, rustic soups? Try this traditional Ukrainian recipe to make you feel like you’re in your grandma’s kitchen!