High Iron Bean Soup

Iron Maxing: The soup I've been making for years to combat low iron

May 06, 2026

∙ Paid

This is the bean soup I’ve been making for years to combat low iron. I make slight tweaks every now and then to mix things up, and this time I’ve made it with two types of white beans, cannellini and lima (aka butter beans). They are among the better plant-based sources of iron, and also happen to be two of my favourites beans because they are super creamy and add amazing body to soups.

I’ve also added an entire container of spinach. I am aware of the concern around oxalate consumption, and have received many comments about it. I also know that oxalates bind to iron and slightly lower absorption, but I also know that cooking it breaks down some of the oxalates. I’m not personally concerned with oxalate consumption, but if you are, you can definitely use kale, or leave out the greens entirely! I’ve made it that way too and it’s still delicious. I just like adding greens for the extra nutrients, colour and fibre.

I also finish the soup with a good amount of lemon juice, which serves two purposes here: it brightens the flavour and provides vitamin C, helping to significantly boost the absorption of plant-based iron. So even with the oxalates in the spinach working against absorption slightly, the lemon juice is helping to counteract that!

This time I’m serving it with pearl barley, which adds a lovely bite and chewiness to contrast the creaminess of the beans. It’s also another source of iron, so it ups the nutritional value of the soup even more. This is one of my favourites for when I want a meal that just makes me feel good, and I hope it does the same for you.