Tomato and White Bean Soup
Hiya! Hope your weekend is going well. No matter how you’re celebrating, I’m sure you’re busy with thanksgiving prep, but I wanted to sneak in this wonderful and warming vegetarian Tomato and White Bean Soup. Read on and see why (or skip the chatter and scroll down to the recipe to get cracking on soup-making now!)
I’ve always found that in the run up to the holiday, with all the chaos, everyday eating kinda gets ignored, so a few years ago, I decided that before I started all the party food prep, I would make a big pot of something nourishing and healthy to have around that could easily be heated up and keep everyone happy. Even though there’s a lot less partying this year, I’m still sticking with the plan and this hearty, veggie laden soup, miles away from the traditional Thanksgiving flavors, is the hands-down winner!
It’s loaded with beans, carrots, spinach, tomatoes and will definitely warm and fill your belly without being overly heavy, while leaving you plenty of time for that mid-week holiday prep!
Remember, we still have to eat…🦃🦃😘
Tomato and White Bean Soup
Makes 8-10 servings
Prep Time for beans: An overnight soak, plus about a 45 minute cook time; Prep Time for Soup: About 1 hour (most of this is hands-free)
Ingredients
For the beans
2 cups dried white beans (I used cannellini) soaked overnight or a 15.5 ounce can of white beans, rinsed and drained (if using already cooked beans, skip down to the soup recipe)
1 onion, quartered but not all the way through so that the root remains intact
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt
For the soup
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
One 28-ounce can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes, drained in a colander
Pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
1 onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoons Sherry vinegar
4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (you may want more broth if the soup seems too thick)
5 ounces baby spinach, roughly chopped
Freshly grated Parmesan for serving (optional)
The Recipe
1. If you are using precooked beans, skip to Step 2. Otherwise: add the soaked beans, onion, garlic, bay leaves to a large pot and cover with cold water by at least 2 inches. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, add a few pinches of salt and lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for about 40-45 minutes, until beans are tender and creamy but not mushy. Let cool in the cooking water, then drain. Discard the onion, garlic and bay leaves and set aside the beans. (You could definitely make these a few days ahead and keep covered and chilled)
2. To make the soup: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large heavyweight pot over medium-high heat and add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt and let tomatoes cook for about 5 minutes, without moving them so that they can get caramelized and a little blackened. Now use the back of a large spoon to break up the tomatoes, stirring every not and then for another 5 minutes more, until the tomatoes are caramelized all over. Transfer to a plate.
3. In the same pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat and add the onion, carrot, garlic and more red pepper flakes if you like things spicy and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the veggies are sort and starting to brown a bit. Stir in the vinegar and tomatoes, scraping up any brown bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add in the beans and the broth and bring to a simmer. Cook for another 40 minutes or so, until everything has melded together. Add in the spinach and cook for a few minutes, until wilted. Serve immediately as is or topped with grated Parmesan.
4. You can also make this several days ahead. Bring to room temperature and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat over low heat or in the microwave before serving.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit Magazine. I tinkered with a bunch of ingredients and proportions.
