Mediterranean White Bean Soup
Simple and easy one pot meal option for weekdays with a bit of meal prep makes life easier during weekdays. Weekend meal prep includes cutting vegetables, cooking some protein ahead. Then weeknight dinners becomes a breeze to prepare.
During great lent days, we are strictly vegetarians. This makes me scratch my head to pack in the alternative protein options for the teens in the house. I rely on different kinds of beans and lentils for that. Garbanzo, Black beans and White Cannellini beans are our favorites.
This simple Mediterranean White Beans Soup is a one pot vegetarian meal option that does not compromise on taste, yet delicious and healthy. Even in Spring weather, we are getting snow here. So a soup is always a comfort food in my household even in Spring weather. Hope you will give this recipe a try.
Ingredients
2 cups - cooked white beans (refer notes)
1 - medium yellow onion diced
1.5 tbsp - chopped garlic
1/2 cup - diced carrots
1/2 cup - diced celery
2 cups - oven roasted tomatoes with juice (refer notes)
1 tbsp - tomato paste
4 cups - vegetable broth
1/2 tsp - dry chili flakes
2 cups - baby spinach
2 tbsp - olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
To garnish
Fresh/Dry Rosemary
Grated Parmesan Cheese (skip this for vegan soup)
Directions:
- In a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add chopped garlic and sauté till golden yellow color. Add the diced onions and sauté for few seconds.
- Add carrots, celery and salt and cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Next add the oven roasted tomatoes, tomato paste and the cooked white beans. Add the vegetable broth, ground pepper and salt. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or till the vegetables are soft.
- Adjust the seasonings and add the rosemary.
- Add the 2 cups of spinach to the soup and mix well. Immediately turn off the flame and let the soup sit for 1 minute.
- Serve it hot and garnish with grated Parmesan Cheese. It goes well with garlic bread or baguette.
- White Beans - You can use any white beans like Cannellini beans or Northern white beans. Soak 1 1/4 cups of dry beans in water for at least 8 hours. Rinse well and discard the water. Add 2 cups of water to the beans and pressure cook till 5 whistles.
- Oven roasted tomatoes
- Preheat oven to 430°F.
- Add cut tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and salt to a baking dish and bake for 20 - 25 minutes till the tomatoes are mushy and juicy.