Mediterranean White Bean Soup with Spinach and Fresh Herbs
This is a simple, easy to adapt weeknight soup recipe loaded with bold Mediterranean flavor. Feel free to swap with what you have on hand (see some suggestions in the notes). But whatever you do, don't skip the fresh herbs! They give this creamy vegan soup an irresistible fresh-meets-cozy quality. It's plenty filling on its own, but I love some good crusty bread for dipping.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 bunch parsley
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper, plus more for serving
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
- 2 cans Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 heaping cups spinach
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, stems removed
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Prep the parsley. Trim off the very bottom end of the parsley’s stems where they're often starting to brown. Discard, then pick off the leaves and set the leaves and stems in two separate piles. Finely chop them both–keeping them separate and setting aside in separate piles.
- Sauté the aromatics. In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until fragrant (adjust the heat as needed to make sure the garlic does not burn).
- Add the remaining flavor-makers. Stir in the tomato paste, carrots, celery, and chopped parsley stems (do not add the leaves yet). Season with the Italian seasoning, paprika, Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened a bit, about 5 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth and the beans. Turn the heat to high to bring to a boil and allow to boil for about 5 minutes.
- Simmer. Lower the heat and cover the pot part-way, leaving a small opening at the top. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the beans and veggies are very soft.
- Partially blend for a creamier soup (optional). Use an immersion blender to blend about half the soup but do not fully puree the entire soup–some texture is essential. This step is optional and is meant to only give the soup some body.
- Finish. Stir in the spinach and cover so it wilts (about 1 to 2 minutes). Stir in the reserved parsley leaves, dill, and white wine vinegar.
- Serve. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and finish each bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper. Serve.
Video
Notes
- Swaps and Substitutions:
- For the beans: Butter Beans if possible, Great Northern as an alternative, or Navy Beans as a last resort. You can also replace the beans with chickpeas. I would skip the blending step and expect it to be a bit brothier–you can always simmer a bit longer for a thicker soup.
- For the spinach: Use kale or Swiss chard. Discard the tough spines, then chop and simmer in the final 15 minutes or so until the greens are nice and tender.
- To store, allow the soup to cool completely before transferring to a sealable container. Store, covered in your fridge for up to 5 days, or in your freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen soup overnight in the fridge, then reheat over gentle temperature.
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams, and spices.
Nutrition
Calories: 398.3kcal | Carbohydrates: 58.4g | Protein: 18.3g | Fat: 11.4g | Saturated Fat: 1.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7.8g | Sodium: 106mg | Potassium: 1282mg | Fiber: 13.8g | Sugar: 5.4g | Vitamin A: 5850.6IU | Vitamin C: 9.4mg | Calcium: 202mg | Iron: 7.6mg
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