Description
A rich and creamy tomato bean soup featuring tender white beans, fresh spinach, and savory Italian herbs, perfect for a comforting meal served with crusty bread.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter, unsalted
- 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) stock or broth, chicken or vegetable, low sodium
Beans and Cheese
- 3 x 420g (15oz) cans cannellini or any white beans, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups dried beans, cooked to 5.5 cups)
- 1/2 cup (50g) parmesan cheese, grated
Greens and Cream
- 120g (4oz) 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
Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Melt Butter and Sauté Aromatics: Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, and carrot and cook for 5 minutes until the carrot is soft and sweet.
- Add Herbs: About 3 minutes into cooking the vegetables, stir in the Italian herb mix to allow it to bloom and release its flavors with the onion mixture.
- Cook Tomato Paste: Increase heat to high, add tomato paste, and cook for 2 minutes to remove the raw flavor from the paste.
- Deglaze with Wine: Add the dry white wine and cook for 3 minutes until the harsh wine smell evaporates and the tomato paste remains concentrated.
- Add Beans, Stock, and Cheese: Add 1/2 cup of the drained beans to thicken the soup, then pour in the stock, stir in parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Puree the Soup: Use a stick blender to puree the soup until smooth or transfer it to a blender carefully and blend until smooth.
- Add Remaining Beans and Spinach: Stir in the remaining beans and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the spinach and stir until wilted.
- Finish with Cream: Stir in the cream if using, adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve: Serve the soup hot with crusty bread for dunking.
Notes
- Tomato Paste Substitute: Use 800g crushed or diced canned tomatoes or passata. Reduce stock to 3 cups (750ml), omit tomato paste, add tomato with stock, add 1/4 cup beans to thicken, simmer 10 minutes uncovered before pureeing.
- Beans: Any white beans like navy, lima, or cannellini work well. Other colored beans or lentils can be used but will alter soup color.
- Dried Beans: Soak 2 cups dried beans 5–24 hours, then boil and simmer with salt until tender (usually around 25–120 minutes).
- Vegetables: Add extra diced vegetables by cooking them first, removing, then adding back later or stir in quick-wilting greens.
- Protein Options: Add cooked bacon, ham, sausage, shredded chicken, or flaked fish for extra protein by cooking these first and adding toward the end.
- Storage: Store in fridge up to 4 days, or freeze and gently reheat before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
