Tomato soup is a classic and a family favourite, but this version adds more flavour and more heartiness with white beans and cheese!
White Bean and Tomato Soup is the kind of tomato soup you need when you’re really hungry and don’t feel like making a grilled cheese sandwich in order to fill you up. This soup will fill you up just fine all on its own!
Keeping the modern day family in mind – you know the busy family with school and soccer and ballet, etc. – I opted to make this soup extremely easy. I’m going to show you how you can take a few cans of beans and canned tomatoes, and pair them with a few pantry staples to make a quick and easy, delicious dinner!
Before you read any further, it’s worth mentioning that if you’re looking for a great tomato soup without the beans (because you want a tomato soup without beans to eat with a grilled cheese sandwich) you have to try my Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup. It’s heavenly!
Canned ingredients? Is this really a recipe?
Why, yes, it is, Dear Reader! There is nothing to be ashamed of when resorting to using canned vegetables to help speed up your dinner prep. Hey! At least you’re making a wholesome and hearty meal on your own and not placing another Uber Eats order on your phone!
Not once have I professed to be a purist when it comes to the ingredients I use in our kitchen. And, I’m not afraid to admit that I can take shortcuts, especially when it comes to canned ingredients – beans and tomatoes specifically!
I’m also not afraid to admit that soaking beans overnight and cooking them on the stove top until tender is not my idea of fun. That’s not cooking; it’s boredom! I’ll use the canned stuff any day – thank you! But just in case you want to do just that, here’s how to cook dried beans.
How to buy canned tomatoes:
Canned tomatoes can be found anywhere and they come so many shapes, sizes, and textures. Here are my steadfast rules to buying canned tomatoes.
First, if you need tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes, buy them in a glass jar. You can see what you’re buying. The colour should be bright and vivid; the sauce/tomatoes should look fresh and cohesive. If there are seeds or pieces of tomato skin, move on to another brand.
Second, if you need chopped or diced tomatoes, always buy whole tomatoes. When produce companies can the tomatoes, the best tomatoes are packed in the cans marked “whole.” The blemished, not-so perfect tomatoes, are crushed, chopped, or pureed and sold as such.
I would rather buy canned whole tomatoes (they’re always the same price!) and spend the extra two minutes chopping them myself so that I know I’m getting really good and really ripe tomatoes.
This recipe makes a lot of soup; what do I do with all of it?
There are two things you can do – you can cut the recipe in half, which is very easy to do. Literally, you will just half each of the ingredients listed in the recipe card below and follow the same instructions.
Or, you can make a large pot, allow it to cool completely, and then freeze it. To freeze the soup, I would highly recommend that you portion the soup into individual portions so that you can only thaw what you need.
The portioned soup should be stored in food-safe, freezer-friendly containers (or study resealable bags) and properly labeled with the date and the name of the soup. Remove the frozen soup from the freezer and allow soup to thaw at room temperature before transferring to a small pot to re-heat.
Conclusion:
White Bean and Tomato Soup has everything you’re looking for in a homey, hearty, healthy meal. It’s got lots of heart-healthy veggies, like tomatoes, onions, garlic, and beans.
It’s got a deep simmered flavour, even though it takes less than an hour to make. And, it is so hearty and filling that it eliminates the need to make a grilled cheese sandwich to go with it! (Unless, of course, you want it!)
White Bean and Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for garnish (optional)
- 1 large white onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups cooked beans, (white, navy, cannellini) drained
- 28 ounces canned whole tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid, add the olive oil and onions. Saute the onions for 5-7 minutes or until onions are cook all the way through, but not browned.
- Add the garlic and saute for 2-3 more minutes.
- Next, add the beans, tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Place a lid on the pot and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and stir. Continue to simmer the soup without the lid for 15 more minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a good sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Serve with thinly slice grilled baguette.
Notes
Nutrition
Leanne says
Tomato soup always reminds me of Sundays after church when I was a kid. Canned tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches were a lunchtime staple! Now, of course, I love making my own tomato soup, and I usually add beans to my soups to bulk them up. This is a great recipe!
Danielle says
No wonder it is your family’s favorite 🙂 I bet it can become a go-to soup in any family – it looks absolutely stunning and perfect for the season! And great tips on the canned tomatoes – I found them really helpful.
Natalie says
I agree with you, there’s nothing wrong in using canned tomatoes to speed up dinner. I’m a huge advocate of simplifying things especially when cooking dinner for my hungry boys. This soup looks absolutely delicious. Thick, flavorful and so healthy, I love the addition of beans. Beans makes soup so much more nutritious. I will definitely put this on my family menu. Can’t wait to give it a try.