Description
Hearty Tuscan White Bean Soup is a flavorful, creamy vegan soup made with a sofrito base of shallots, garlic, carrots, and celery, enhanced with Italian herbs and spices, tender cannellini beans, and fresh spinach. This comforting soup simmers to perfection and is perfect served with crusty bread for a wholesome meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Base and Aromatics
- 1/4 cup (50g) extra virgin olive oil
- 3 medium shallots, minced (150g)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced (15g)
- 2 carrots, chopped into coins (160g)
- 2 stalks celery, diced (160g)
Seasonings and Spices
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1 tsp thyme
- 2 tsp aleppo pepper
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
Main Ingredients
- 2 15 oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups water
- 3 cups fresh spinach or chopped dino kale
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced shallots and garlic, cover partially with a lid, and cook for 5-6 minutes while stirring occasionally until the shallots and garlic become translucent.
- Cook down the sofrito: Add the chopped carrots and diced celery to the pot, continuing to cook uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. Stir the mixture occasionally to allow the vegetables to soften and develop rich flavors.
- Cook down tomato paste and bloom spices: Once the sofrito has reduced slightly, stir in the tomato paste, kosher salt, basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, aleppo pepper, and black pepper. Let the mixture cook for 5 minutes to bloom the spices and eliminate the raw taste of the tomato paste.
- Simmer the soup: Add the drained cannellini beans, bay leaves, and water to the pot. Stir well, partially cover with a lid, reduce heat to medium-low, and let the soup simmer gently for 20 minutes to blend flavors.
- Blend some of the soup: After simmering, remove 1 cup of soup and blend it until smooth using a high-speed blender or immersion blender. Return the blended soup to the pot, add the fresh spinach or kale, and stir. Continue to simmer for about 10 minutes until the greens are wilted and tender.
- Serve and store: Ladle the creamy Tuscan white bean soup into bowls and serve with toasted rye or sourdough bread. Allow leftovers to cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The soup tastes best the next day when flavors have melded.
Notes
- For a thicker soup, blend more than one cup of the soup before adding back to the pot.
- Substitute kale for spinach if preferred for a heartier texture.
- Adjust aleppo pepper quantity to control heat level.
- Serve with crusty bread to complement the smooth texture of the soup.
- The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw and reheat gently.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Tuscan, Italian
Keywords: Tuscan white bean soup, vegan soup, cannellini beans, Italian herbs, creamy soup, healthy soup, plant-based, comfort food
