Description
A rich and creamy tomato bean soup that combines the sweetness of carrots, the depth of tomato paste, and the creaminess of pureed white beans. Perfect for a comforting meal, this soup can be customized with additional vegetables or proteins to suit your taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 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)
- 3/4 cup tomato paste (170g)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (125ml), optional
- 4 cups stock/broth, chicken or vegetable, low sodium (1 litre)
- 3 cans white beans (cannellini, navy, butter, great northern, lima), drained and rinsed (each 420g/15oz)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan (50g)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 120g baby spinach (or 5-6 cups any other leafy greens or 4 cups diced vegetables)
- 3/4 cup cream, heavy/thickened (185ml), optional
Instructions
- Melt butter and sauté vegetables: In a pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the finely chopped garlic, onion, and carrot and cook for 5 minutes until the carrot becomes soft and sweet. About 3 minutes into cooking, add the Italian herb mix to bloom the flavors with the onion and garlic.
- Add tomato paste and cook: Turn the heat to high and add the tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring, to remove the raw flavor from the paste.
- Deglaze with white wine: Pour in the white wine and cook for 3 minutes until the harsh wine smell evaporates and you are left with just the rich tomato flavor.
- Add beans, stock, and seasoning: Add 1/2 cup of the drained beans (to thicken the soup), the stock or broth, grated parmesan, salt, and pepper. Stir and turn the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Puree the soup: Use a stick blender directly in the pot or transfer the soup to a blender to puree until smooth and creamy.
- Add remaining beans and simmer: Stir in the remaining beans and simmer the soup for another 3 minutes to heat through.
- Add greens and cream: Stir in the baby spinach until wilted. Then add the cream if using, stirring gently to combine. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed, keeping in mind canned beans are already salted.
- Serve: Serve the creamy tomato bean soup warm, ideally with crusty bread for dipping.
Notes
- Tomato paste provides intense tomato flavor. You can substitute with 800g crushed or diced canned tomatoes or tomato passata, reducing stock to 3 cups (750ml) and skipping tomato paste. Add tomatoes with stock and only 1/4 cup beans to thicken. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes before pureeing.
- Any type of white beans work well, including navy, cannellini, lima, or butter beans. Other beans like kidney, pinto, or black beans can be used but will change the soup's color.
- For dried beans, soak for 5 to 24 hours, then boil and simmer with salt until tender. Cooking time varies from 25 minutes to over 2 hours. Beans should be soft but not falling apart.
- You can add extra vegetables by cooking and removing them before pureeing, then adding them back in at the end or using vegetables that wilt quickly.
- Protein additions like seared bacon, ham, sausage, chicken, fish, or canned salmon/tuna can be incorporated for added flavor and nutrition.
- Store leftover soup in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for longer storage. Reheat gently before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
