Description
Creamy Tomato Bean Soup is a rich and comforting dish combining tomato paste, white beans, and aromatic vegetables. This smooth and flavorful soup offers a perfect balance of creaminess and wholesomeness, enhanced by garlic, herbs, and spinach, optionally finished with a splash of cream for extra indulgence.
Ingredients
Scale
Base
- 2 tbsp butter, unsalted
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 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)
Tomato and Liquids
- 3/4 cup (170g) tomato paste
- 1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine, optional
- 4 cups (1 litre) low sodium chicken or vegetable stock/broth
Beans and Cheese
- 3 x 420g/15 oz cans cannellini or any white beans, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups dried beans, cooked 5.5 cups)
- 1/2 cup (50g) grated parmesan
Seasoning and Greens
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 120g/4 oz baby spinach (or 5-6 cups leafy greens or 4 cups diced vegetables)
Finishing
- 3/4 cup (185ml) heavy/thickened cream, optional (or extra butter)
Instructions
- Prepare the base: Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add finely chopped garlic, onion, and carrot, cooking for 5 minutes until the carrot softens and sweetens.
- Add herbs: About 3 minutes into cooking, stir in the Italian herb mix and cook with the vegetables to release their flavors.
- Incorporate tomato paste: Increase heat to high, add the tomato paste, and cook for 2 minutes to remove the raw tomato taste.
- Deglaze with wine: Pour in the white wine (if using) and cook for 3 minutes until the wine aroma dissipates and mostly evaporates, leaving the tomato flavor behind.
- Add beans and stock: Add 1/2 cup of the drained beans to thicken the soup, then pour in the stock along with grated parmesan, salt, and pepper. Stir well, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Puree the soup: Use a stick blender to blend the soup until smooth, or carefully transfer it to a blender to puree.
- Finish soup: Add the remaining beans and simmer for another 3 minutes. Stir in the baby spinach until it wilts, then mix in the cream if using. Adjust seasoning with extra salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot, ideally with crusty bread for dipping.
Notes
- Tomato paste provides the intense tomato flavor. You can substitute with 800g/14 oz crushed or diced canned tomatoes or tomato passata, reducing stock to 3 cups (750ml) and skipping tomato paste. Add tomatoes with stock, add only 1/4 cup beans to thicken, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes before pureeing.
- Use any white beans such as navy, lima, butter, or great northern. Other beans or lentils can be used but will alter soup color.
- If using dried beans, soak for 5 to 24 hours, then boil and simmer with 1 tbsp salt partially covered until tender, which can take 25 minutes to over 2 hours depending on bean type and age.
- For firmer cooked dried beans, simmer the first half cup added to the soup longer to achieve a soft puree texture like canned beans.
- You can add extra vegetables by cooking diced veggies first, removing them, then adding back after pureeing; or stir in quick-wilting greens or frozen vegetables during the final simmer.
- For added protein, sear bacon, ham, sausage, chicken, or poached fish before starting the soup and add back at the end.
- Store soup up to 4 days in the fridge or freeze. Reheat gently.
- Recipe makes 4 generous servings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 375ml)
- Calories: 300 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
