Delicious, hearty, and full of nutritious ingredients – Spinach and White Bean Soup is good for you and has just the right balance of vegetables, protein, and carbohydrates. A well rounded, feel-good, dinner for all!
SPINACH AND WHITE BEAN SOUP
Spinach is no stranger to our dinner table. We use spinach quite frequently. But, where we live, it can be difficult to find fresh spinach that still looks and tastes fresh. In the winter months, our spinach is imported and not as ‘green’ as I’d prefer it to be.
When I saw fresh baby spinach leaves at the grocery store just recently, I had to have them. Usually, in the colder months, I stick to frozen spinach for my cooking needs. Frozen spinach is great. But, there’s nothing like the taste of fresh spinach – especially in a soup like this one.
Speaking of soup, this one is simply delicious! Even though the spinach, beans, and pasta are prevalent, the broth was my favourite part. It was just right for dunking a piece of crusty bread into!
MAKE A WEEKNIGHT DINNER EASY!
This particular soup was a part of one of my many weekend meal prep sessions. We like to eat real meals even on busy, tired weeknights. By real, I mean homemade and not fast food. It’s so delicious after a long day at the office or at school. Preparing dishes such as this one and freezing them immediately, provides us with fresh tasting meals during the week.
I will take the frozen soup out of the freezer and set it on the lowest shelf in the fridge. Do this before you leave for work in the morning. On my way home, I’ll stop and pick up a fresh baguette. And, before long, I’ve got a warm, hearty, home-cooked dinner on the table. If that wasn’t reward enough, there’s also less dishes!
THIS IS WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- Olive Oil – This is used to get the onions and garlic started. You’ll want to sauté those first so that they are fragrant and partially cooked.
- Garlic – Two cloves, finely minced
- Onion – I used a large white onion, but you can use shallots or yellow onion too. All in all, it’s about a cup of diced onions.
- Herbs & Seasonings – Dried thyme and basil help to deepen the flavour of the broth. Bay leaves add that special note of homestyle cooking. And, of course, you’ll need salt and pepper to season.
- Vegetable Stock – I wanted to keep the soup vegetarian. You can use chicken stock if you wish. Some stocks are very salty, so don’t add extra salt without tasting the soup first.
- Pasta – Uncooked pasta is needed here. Any pasta will do, but the smaller the shape, the better.
- Navy Beans – Use canned beans to make it easier, but if you have cooked beans on hand that you prepared yourself, use those. Have you tried my Instant Pot recipe for fast cooking dry beans?
- Spinach – Fresh is always best, but you can certainly use frozen too. One package of frozen will work fine.
HOW TO MAKE SPINACH AND WHITE BEAN SOUP
- In a heavy bottomed stock pot, over medium heat, add the olive oil and onions. Sauté for five minutes until the onions are translucent but not browned.
- Add the salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and basil. Stir to combine and cook for two minutes.
- Add the vegetable stock and water; bring to a boil.
- Add the pasta and stir to combine. Allow the pasta to cook for six to eight minutes.
- Next, add the navy beans and spinach. Stir to combine.
- Cook for two more minutes or until pasta is cooked and the spinach has wilted.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Spinach and White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large white onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups water
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1 cup uncooked pasta, such as orzo or tripoline
- 3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 cups cooked navy beans
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- In a heavy bottomed stock pot, over medium heat, add the olive oil and onions. Sauté for five minutes until the onions are translucent but not browned.
- Add the salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and basil. Stir to combine and cook for two minutes.
- Add the vegetable stock and water; bring to a boil.
- Add the pasta and stir to combine. Allow the pasta to cook for six to eight minutes.
- Next, add the navy beans and spinach. Stir to combine.
- Cook for two more minutes or until pasta is cooked and the spinach has wilted.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped parsley.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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