Description
This creamy tomato bean soup is a comforting and flavorful dish made with tomato paste, white beans, vegetables, and herbs. It’s thickened with beans and enriched with parmesan and cream for a smooth, velvety texture. Perfect for a hearty lunch or dinner, it can be enjoyed with crusty bread for dunking.
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) chicken or vegetable stock, low sodium
Beans & Cheese
- 3 x 420g (15oz) cans cannellini or any white beans, drained & rinsed (or 2 cups dried beans, cooked to 5.5 cups)
- 1/2 cup (50g) parmesan, grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Greens & 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 additional butter
Instructions
- Melt Butter and Cook Vegetables: Melt the butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, and carrot, cooking for 5 minutes until the carrot is soft and sweet. About 3 minutes in, add the Italian herbs and cook with the onion to release their flavor.
- Add Tomato Paste: Turn the heat up to high and add the tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes to remove the raw flavor of the paste.
- Add Wine : Pour in the white wine if using, and cook for 3 minutes until the strong wine smell dissipates and mostly evaporates, leaving the tomato paste flavor.
- Add Beans, Stock, and Seasoning: Stir in 1/2 cup of the beans (to thicken the soup), stock, parmesan, salt, and pepper. Lower the 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 for pureeing.
- Finish Soup: 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 as needed, keeping in mind canned beans already contain salt.
- Serve: Serve hot with crusty bread for dunking.
Notes
- Substitute tomato paste with 800g (14oz) crushed or diced canned tomatoes or passata; use 3 cups (750ml) stock instead of 4 cups and add 1/4 cup beans to thicken. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes before pureeing.
- Any white beans such as navy, lima, butter beans are suitable. Other beans like kidney or pinto will change the soup color but still work.
- For dried beans, soak 5–24 hours and cook until tender, generally starting to check after 25 minutes. Add salt at start or partway depending on bean size.
- Extra vegetables can be added by cooking them first, removing, then adding back in at the end or stirring in quick-wilting greens or diced frozen veggies with the beans.
- Protein variations: Add cooked bacon, ham, sausage, chicken, or poached fish by searing or cooking separately and mixing in at the end.
- Store leftovers up to 4 days in the fridge or freeze. Reheat gently after thawing.
- This recipe makes 4 generous servings and is very filling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 350g)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
