Description
This creamy tomato bean soup is a comforting and hearty dish made with a blend of tomato paste, white beans, fresh vegetables, and herbs. It features rich flavors from sautéed garlic, onions, and carrots, enhanced with Italian herbs and a splash of white wine. The soup is pureed to a smooth texture and finished with spinach and cream for extra richness. Perfect for a warming meal, it can be enjoyed with crusty bread for dipping.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- 2 tbsp/30g unsalted butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped (brown, yellow, or white)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian herb mix (oregano, thyme, parsley, basil, or mixed dried herbs)
- 3/4 cup (170g) tomato paste
- 1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine, optional
- 4 cups (1 litre) chicken or vegetable stock/broth, low sodium
- 3 x 420g (15oz) cans cannellini or any white beans, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups dried beans cooked, about 5.5 cups)
- 1/2 cup (50g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Vegetables and Finishers
- 120g (4 oz) baby spinach (or 5–6 cups other leafy greens, or 4 cups diced vegetables)
- 3/4 cup (185ml) heavy/thickened cream, optional (or more butter)
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Melt the butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped garlic, onion, and carrot and cook for 5 minutes until the carrot becomes soft and sweet.
- Add Herbs: About 3 minutes into cooking the vegetables, add the Italian herb mix and stir to bloom the flavors with the onion and carrot.
- Cook Tomato Paste: Raise the heat to high and add the tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes to remove the raw tomato flavor.
- Deglaze with Wine: Pour in the white wine and cook for 3 minutes, allowing the winey smell to evaporate and intensify the tomato paste flavor.
- Add Beans, Stock, and Seasoning: Stir in half a cup of beans to thicken the soup, add the stock, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Blend Soup: Use a stick blender directly in the pot (or transfer in batches to a blender) to puree the soup until smooth.
- Finish and Add Greens: Add the remaining beans and simmer for another 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach until wilted, then add cream if using. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Serve hot with crusty bread for dipping and enjoy your creamy tomato bean soup!
Notes
- Tomato Paste Substitution: You can substitute the tomato paste with 800g/14oz crushed or diced canned tomatoes or passata. Reduce the stock to 3 cups (750ml), skip the paste, and add tomato with stock. Use 1/4 cup beans and simmer the soup uncovered for 10 minutes before blending.
- Beans: White beans like navy, cannellini, lima, or butter beans work best, but other beans or lentils can be used though color may vary.
- Cooking Dried Beans: Soak 2 cups dried beans 5–24 hours, then boil and simmer with salt until tender, which can take 25 minutes to 2 hours based on bean type and age.
- Vegetable Variations: Add more diced vegetables or leafy greens as preferred; cook firmer vegetables before adding back later or add quick-cooking veggies with beans.
- Protein Additions: Enhance the soup by adding cooked bacon, ham, sausage, chicken, fish, canned salmon or tuna stirred in at the end.
- Storage: Store leftovers up to 4 days refrigerated or freeze; gently reheat before serving.
- Nutrition: Makes 4 generous servings; filling and suitable for a wholesome meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 375ml)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
