White Bean Soup With Tomato (Printable Version)

Creamy white bean and tomato soup with herbs, ready in under an hour. A comforting Mediterranean dish that's naturally vegetarian and gluten-free.

# What You Need:

→ Beans & Base

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
05 - 4 cups vegetable broth

→ Tomatoes & Seasonings

06 - 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juices
07 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste
08 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
09 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
10 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Finishing Touches

13 - 1/4 cup heavy cream or coconut cream (optional)
14 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or basil

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté until translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in drained beans, diced tomatoes with juices, tomato paste, dried thyme, dried oregano, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
04 - Pour in vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
05 - Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth and creamy, or transfer in batches to a countertop blender.
06 - Stir in cream if using. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley or basil.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The velvety texture comes without a drop of heavy cream unless you want it, making this secretly one of the most adaptable soup recipes in my collection.
  • You can pull this together with pantry staples in under an hour, which has rescued countless last-minute dinner dilemmas when I forgot to plan ahead.
02 -
  • My first attempt at this soup was grainy because I didn't blend it long enough, so take your time with the pureeing step for that truly velvety texture.
  • Adding the optional cream while the soup is boiling can cause it to separate, so always remove from heat first or reduce to the barest simmer before stirring it in.
03 -
  • Reserve about a quarter cup of the beans before blending and add them back to the pureed soup for textural contrast that makes each spoonful more interesting.
  • A splash of white wine added after sautéing the onions brings a subtle acidity that balances the creaminess of the beans in a way that even lemon juice cannot quite match.
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