When most people think of comfort food, soup is one of the first dishes that comes to mind. This cabbage and white bean soup hits the mark. It’s pure comfort in a bowl, and it comes together in only 40 minutes. ​​The cozy soup features cannellini beans and Savoy cabbage, a variety with ruffly leaves and a sweet, mild flavor, simmered in a harissa-and-rosemary-infused chicken broth. It’s soul-warming and hearty.

Food & Wine Recipe Developer Julia Levy leans on a few tricks to build big flavor in this dish in under an hour. First, thinly sliced prosciutto is crisped in a Dutch oven. The drippings are used to sauté the soup’s aromatics, like carrots and onion, while the crispy prosciutto is reserved for a crunchy, salty garnish. Second, opting for canned beans rather than cooking dried beans from scratch cuts the cooking time down, making this soup a weeknight winner. Before stirring in the beans, Levy reserves a portion and mashes them into a paste. The mashed beans add body to the soup, naturally thickening it into a creamy, hearty consistency. Finally, to give the soup a slow-simmered flavor and savory complexity, Levy uses a Parmesan rind. Cut off from a block of cheese, the parmesan rind is simmered along with the soup, releasing its nutty richness into the broth. Together, these simple tricks transform humble cabbage into a flavorful and comforting weeknight soup.

What is Savoy cabbage?

Savoy cabbage is a variety of brassica with ruffled green leaves. It has a milder, slightly sweeter flavor than standard green cabbage. While the leaves are soft and tender even when raw, they become more tender when cooked and still hold their shape. Savoy cabbage is commonly used in stir-fries and for making stuffed cabbage rolls.

Find Savoy cabbage at most specialty grocery stores, or you can substitute with green cabbage for a more peppery flavor and heartier texture.

Can you use other beans?

Cannellini beans are a type of white bean, originally from Italy, with a creamy texture and mild, nutty flavor. You can substitute cannellini beans with other white beans like Great Northern beans or navy beans.

Great Northern beans are slightly smaller than cannellini beans and have a firm texture that holds up well during cooking. They’re slightly less creamy than cannellini beans and have a mild and nutty flavor. Navy beans are even smaller than Great Northern beans; they’re very soft and creamy with an earthy flavor.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

• A Parmesan rind gives the broth body while also infusing the soup with a nutty, savory complexity.


• Control the spice of the soup by using a mild or spicy harissa paste.


• Opt for a homemade chicken broth or high-quality store-bought broth to boost the soup’s flavor.

Suggested pairing

Pair this savory soup with a lively, dry Prosecco Superiore, like Nino Franco Rustico, for an easy but elegant weeknight dinner.