A delicious, healthy & comforting tomato soup thickened with blended white beans. Leftovers are great for packed lunches! Vegan, gluten-free, and simple.
It’s been a soupy week around here. I’ve said it probably one hundred times before, but I just love the process of making soup. It makes me feel grounded and fancy all at the same time. Simmering flavorful things in a pot (with a glass of wine on the side) is my idea of a perfect night. It could be Tuesday night, it could be Friday night – it doesn’t matter to me.
I made this one last weekend when my mom came to visit and again a few days later for Jack who had been out of town. The best part about all of this soup making (and testing and shooting) is the leftover lunch soup – because second day soup is where it’s at. Trust me, you’ll want to make extra and store away the leftovers for lunch all week. It gets better and better.
Because it’s the middle of winter, I used canned tomatoes, which makes this soup “soup-er” easy (get it? also – I’m so sorry). I thickened the soup with white beans (half blended and half left whole for texture). For extra creaminess, I also blended in some raw cashews. If you’re looking for a lighter more tomato-y soup, you can skip them – I actually like it both ways, depending on what I’m in the mood for.
Creamy White Bean & Tomato Soup
- 1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- splash of white wine (or a few teaspoons balsamic vinegar)
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
- 3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ¼ cup raw cashews (optional, for extra creaminess)
- 1½ cups cooked cannellini beans, divided
- 3 cups baby spinach
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and a few generous pinches of salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, and then add the garlic and carrots. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent and the carrots begin to soften, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, breaking them up in the pot with a wooden spoon. Season with more salt and pepper and cook for 8 more minutes, or until the tomatoes cook down and continue to break apart.
- Add the wine, stir and let the alcohol cook off for about 1 minute. Add the cashews, if using, HALF of the white beans, the thyme sprigs, the broth and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the thyme sprigs from the pan and carefully pour the mixture into a blender, working in batches if necessary. Blend the soup then season to taste with salt, pepper. If the soup is too thick, add a little more broth or water.
- Pour the blended soup back into the pot. Add the remaining beans and the spinach and simmer over low heat until the spinach is wilted and the soup is hot. Season to taste and serve.
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This was SO good! I made this a couple weeks ago and my husband keeps asking when it’s next on the menu. Can’t wait to try more of your soups recipes!
This soup looks absolutely scrumptious! I absolutely must try my hand at making it! ~ Christa
I blended all the beans and my family really liked it. Thanks v much!
This sounds lovely! I’ll have to give it a try. Thank you for providing inspiration. I used to make something similar with roasted red peppers, but they don’t agree with me so much anymore, so I shelved that recipe. I find I get in the rut of cooking the same things over and over again, and I love your blog for the inspiration to try something new that is healthy, and yummy and meat free! Happy Holidays!
white beans and thyme in a tomato soup is heaven! adding this to my list of must make winter recipes!!
Just finished making the soup and tasted it! It’s very good; I am sure I will make this recipe again and again.
This sounds wonderfully delicious! Enjoying your lovely blog!
~ Anna
I love soups during the winter months and this sounds delish. I am going to be making it in the crockpot though. I bet it will come out stunningly. Thanks for sharing.
This recipe is so delicious! I made it for dinner last night and it is the perfect cozy winter time dinner – comes together very easily, the flavours are bright and adding beans is great for both the texture and little extra protein, which makes it a substantial meal. I love this recipe and I will definitely be making this again, thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thanks Eva! So glad you liked it!
My favorite tomato soup is tomato basil. Can I use fresh basil in this recipe and if so, how much would I use to get that great tomato basil flavor?
Yep, basil would be delicious – I’d add it at the very end right before you blend the soup – a handful (6 leaves or so), or more to taste!
i made this as directed except added a little bouillon, used 1 tsp dried instead of fresh thyme, and added about 8 fresh basil leaves right before blending as i am a huge fan of tomato-basil pairings. it was REALLY, REALLY GOOD. i sprinkled a little nutritional yeast on my portion. i think next time i will add more whole white beans at the end. so excited to make this again. thanks!
Second day soup is definitely where it’s at! And I like your idea to add both cashews and beans. I usually think of using one or the other but why not together. 😉 Certainly makes a complete and creamy meal out of an easy soup.
Looks fantastic! I’m such a big fan of tomato soup so this looks lovely!
This soup looks fantastic. I love the idea of blending half the white beans for thickness and texture.
If using the raw cashews, do you soak them overnight?
Hi Mary, it helps, especially if you aren’t using a high powered blender. (In the Vitamix, I often skip the soaking step). Since there are so few in this recipe it’s not totally necessary but if you think of it ahead of time it would help the soup become more creamy.
it’s pouring on the East Coast and this is JUST what I need to make..and I have all the ingredients..Thank you , thank you
Ps. do you think if I added extra bean instead of the nuts it would make it creamier. I do not use nuts or oil
You can just skip the nuts – it’s good without them too. If you want to blend in extra beans you can, but I would blend and taste it and then decide.
Wow – I am going to make this tomorrow night for the family holiday party we are hosting! I had a plan, but it’s going out the window as this is the perfect addition to the menu. Thank you! (And also eating your sweet potato lentil curry for lunch – amazing – and looking forward to trying the butternut stuffed shells in the next week!). Our taste buds are aligned.
Ha, hope you and your family enjoy it 🙂 and I’m so glad you liked the sweet potato lentil curry!
I love tomato soup, but its just so heavy. I love this lighter version!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
I love the idea of cashews in there. I need to try this.
The white beans in this soup sound like the perfect addition! So many yummy flavours and yet, so simple. I love soupy weeks 🙂
This looks delicious, it makes something as simple as tomato soup seem so much more hearty.
It might even con my SO into eating cannelini beans.
http://aneducationindomestication.com
Ha, let me know if that works out (although he’ll never suspect the blended ones 🙂
I’m so with you. Nothing beats the relaxing process of cooking up a pot of cozy comfort. And wouldn’t you know. . .tomato soup happens to be one of my favorites (to eat. . .I probably should cook it more often). I love how you jazzed up this tried and true favorite with beans and spinach. And adding the cashews.. .now that is a unique idea.