Tuscan White Bean Soup
From The Kitchen
Rustic Tuscan comfort from mostly pantry staples, creamy cannellini beans simmered with tomatoes and herbs, brightened with lemon and finished with Parmesan.
Scaled from the original recipe, sizing up or down is proportional, so taste and adjust the salt, acid & spice.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh Parmesan, for serving
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a soup pot. Sauté the onion, carrots and celery for 7 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano and thyme and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomatoes, beans and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.
- Slightly mash some of the beans with a spoon to naturally thicken the soup.
- Stir in the spinach until wilted. Add the parsley and lemon juice.
- Season to taste and serve with freshly grated Parmesan.
Storage: Keeps 4 to 5 days refrigerated and freezes well. It thickens as it sits; loosen with a splash of broth.
Serve it with
- A small piece of crusty bread or garlic toast
- Freshly grated Parmesan on top
- A drizzle of good olive oil
- A crisp green salad
A cup of soup with one small piece of good, crusty bread is plenty, quality over quantity. Enough to feel satisfied and still in the pleasure of the meal, never deprived.
Gina's tip
This soup tastes even better the next day.
A couple of cans of beans and a handful of herbs become something genuinely comforting. Simple food, made with care, is often the most satisfying.
I hope this recipe finds a place in your kitchen as it has in mine. Enjoy!
Gina