This White Bean Tomato Soup is vegan, gluten-free, and made with simple pantry staples. The white beans make it filling enough on its own, but you can also serve it with classic grilled cheese or top it with homemade croutons.
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Why You'll Love This Tomato White Bean Soup
Cozy and comforting - This tomato soup is creamy, cozy, and comforting. Instead of classic cream, it's thickened with white beans, which add a ton of protein to the soup and make it hearty and filling. Nothing beats homemade soup in the winter months and this one is especially great for those really cold days when you just don't want to leave the house to get any ingredients.
Made with pantry staples - This tomato soup is made primarily with pantry staples. The only fresh ingredients you need are onion and garlic. All the ingredients are simple and should be very easy to find at most grocery stores.
Freezer friendly - This soup freezes very well, so it's perfect if you're looking for a new meal prep meal. You can use soup freezer cubes for easy freezing and portion control.
Ingredients
- Canned tomatoes - Try finding canned whole San Marzano or Roma tomatoes. San Marzano tomatoes have the best flavor, and whole tomatoes are preferred here. You will need one 28-ounce can. Canned diced tomatoes usually have calcium chloride added to help keep their shape after cooking, which isn't needed here since the soup gets blended.
- Tomato paste - For an even stronger tomato flavor, the soup calls for tomato paste. I recommend adding it, but if you're out of it, you can omit it.
- Butter beans - Any white beans work here, but I went with butter beans because they tend to be the creamiest when blended. You can cook dry beans from scratch but I like using canned beans to save time.
- Onion - Yellow onion is sauteed with minced garlic cloves as the base of the soup before you add all the other ingredients. You can use shallots if you don't have yellow onion.
- Spices - To keep this soup pantry-friendly, I'm only using dried spices. Dried parsley, oregano, basil, and bay leaf add lots of flavor to the soup.
- Oil - I recommend cooking the onions with avocado oil because it has a high smoke point, but olive oil also works great if you want to add some extra flavor to the soup.
- Balsamic vinegar - I like adding a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to the soup after I take it off the heat to add that little something. This is totally optional, but it balances the flavors really nicely.
Variations and Substitutions
- Beans - If you don't have canned butter beans, you can use any type of white bean. Canned cannellini beans, navy beans, white kidney beans, or Great Northern beans are all great options.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes - For a more smoky flavor, you can use canned fire-roasted tomatoes.
- Fresh tomatoes - If you have an overload of fresh, ripe tomatoes, you can use them instead of canned tomatoes. I recommend adding extra tomato paste in that case, though, because fresh tomatoes are milder in flavor.
- Fresh herbs - If you prefer fresh herbs over dried, you can add some fresh rosemary, thyme, and oregano when you add the broth. After blending the soup, stir in some finely chopped fresh parsley.
- Different broth - You can use chicken broth or beef broth if you don't have veggie broth. Chicken stock or beef stock also works.
- Shallots - If you don't have yellow onion, you can use shallots instead.
- Roasted garlic - Instead of fresh garlic, add a few cloves of roasted garlic if you have it, as I did in this Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup.
- More veggies - You can add 1-2 carrots and 1-2 stalks of celery for more flavor if you have them on hand. I didn't add any to keep the ingredients mostly pantry staples. You can also stir in some fresh baby spinach after you blend the soup to add color and nutrients.
- Add heat - Stir in hot sauce or red pepper flakes to add some heat.
- Herbs - You can add Italian seasoning instead of oregano, basil, and parsley. I'm using dried herbs to keep the soup pantry-friendly, but if you have them, you can stir in finely chopped fresh herbs too. Fresh basil or parsley are great options.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Heat a large pot or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add avocado oil.
- Add diced yellow onion and sea salt. Cook, stirring often for 6-8 minutes until glossy and slightly golden.
- Add minced garlic, dried oregano, parsley, basil, and tomato paste. Cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
- Add a can of tomatoes, including the liquid, butter beans, vegetable broth, and a bay leaf.
- Break up the tomatoes a little bit with a spatula and stir everything together.
- Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes on medium-low heat, partially covered.
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- Take the soup off the heat, remove the bay leaf, and use an immersion blender to puree the soup.
- Season with black pepper and add a squeeze of lemon (optional).
Serving Suggestions
Grilled cheese: You can serve the soup on its own, but we all know that tomato soup pairs perfectly with grilled cheese sandwiches! I highly recommend doubling up on the tomato flavor and trying it with this Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwich. If you don't want the extra tomatoes, try this Goat Grilled Cheese with Pear and Sage. This soup is also delicious with some good garlic bread or crusty bread.
Croutons: The soup is also delicious with croutons, especially homemade ones. Try these Sourdough Croutons! They take about 30 minutes to make and last for up to a week.
Yogurt, creme fraiche, or heavy cream: You can add a dollop of Greek yogurt, sour cream, or creme fraiche to the soup when serving for added creaminess. You can also drizzle some heavy cream on top or stir it into the soup itself for an even creamier texture. I use creamy coconut yogurt or creme fraiche most often.
Parmesan and herbs: Aside from cream, the soup is also delicious sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese or pecorino romano. To add more flavor and color, I highly recommend sprinkling some finely chopped fresh parsley on top as well!
Storing
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container or a jar in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat the soup in a small saucepan on the stove until warmed through. Allow to simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Freezer: Store in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for 3-4 months. Reheat either from frozen with a splash of water, or allow to defrost in the fridge overnight first. I like freezing soup in freezer souper cubes to have single portions ready to go whenever I need them. You can transfer them to freezer bags or containers once the soup is fully frozen.
FAQs
Yes, but their flavor might not be as strong. Add 1-2 tablespoon extra tomato paste for a stronger tomato flavor.
Yes! If you want to make the soup extra creamy, add some heavy cream or a vegan alternative to the soup before blending.
Other Soup Recipes
If you're looking for more veggie-based soups, try any of the five soups below! Go to Soups to see all the latest ones!
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Print📖 Recipe
White Bean Tomato Soup
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This White Bean Tomato Soup is vegan and gluten-free. Serve it on its own with a drizzle of yogurt or cream, or with grilled cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil (or other cooking oil)
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp dried basil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can whole tomatoes (796ml)
- 2 cans butter beans, drained and rinsed (398ml x2)
- 4 cups vegetable broth (1x 946ml carton)
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar or a squeeze of lemon (optional)
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- For serving: homemade croutons, yogurt, heavy cream, creme fraiche, fresh parsley, pecorino, parmesan
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add avocado oil.
- Add diced yellow onion and sea salt. Cook stirring often for 6-8 minutes until glossy and slightly golden.
- Add minced garlic, dried oregano, parsley, basil, and tomato paste. Cook for another minute stirring constantly.
- Add a can of tomatoes including the liquid, butter beans, vegetable broth, and a bay leaf.
- Break up the tomatoes a little bit with a spatula and stir everything together.
- Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes partially covered.
- Take the soup off the heat, remove the bay leaf, and use an immersion blender to puree the soup.
- Season with black pepper and add balsamic vinegar or a squeeze of lemon (optional).
- Serve with yogurt, croutons, fresh herbs, parmesan, or any other toppings of your choice.
Equipment
Notes
- White beans: If you don't have butter beans, you can use any canned white beans you have.
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stove over medium heat until warmed through.
- Freezer: Freeze in a freezer-safe container for 3-4 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, or cook from frozen with a splash of water.
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Amy Lui Dong says
This is awesome, white bean and tomato? sound a great combination! I will definitely try to make it this weekdays, thank you!
Savita says
This White Bean Tomato Soup is a bowlful of comfort! The velvety texture, the robust tomato flavor, and the wholesome goodness of white beans create a symphony of tastes that warms the soul.