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.

Notes:

• 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 

        1 lb - ripe tomatoes (medium sized cocktail tomatoes are the best)

        1 clove - garlic miced

        1 tbsp - olive oil

        salt to taste

• 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.