Soup

Simple White Bean Vegetable Soup

A pot of beans and vegetables that you can leave at a simmer. Bread on the side makes it feel like a meal. It is also a good place to put the carrot and the half onion that have been sitting in the drawer.

Prep: 10 minutesCook: 25 minutesServes: 4Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced, if you have them
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 can (14 to 15 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) white beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 cups spinach, kale, or frozen vegetables

Instructions

1. Warm the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Sprinkle with salt. Cook about 6 minutes, until the onion looks soft.
2. Add the garlic and the dried herbs. Stir for half a minute.
3. Add the tomatoes, beans, and water. Bring it to a simmer. Cook uncovered about 15 minutes so the carrots soften and the broth tastes like the vegetables, not like plain water.
4. Stir in the greens. Spinach needs about 2 minutes. Kale needs closer to 5. Frozen vegetables need long enough to get hot.
5. Taste. Add salt and pepper. If it tastes thin, simmer another 5 minutes with the lid off, or mash a spoonful of beans against the side of the pot and stir them back in.
6. Ladle into bowls. A piece of bread or a spoon of olive oil on top is enough.

Substitutions

• White beans: chickpeas or kidney beans.
• Celery: skip it, or use a little extra carrot.
• Water: chicken or vegetable broth. Use less salt at the start if the broth is already salty.
• Greens: frozen peas or the last of a bag of mixed vegetables.

Storage

Cool and refrigerate up to 4 days, or freeze in a container for about 2 months. The soup thickens in the fridge. Add a splash of water when you reheat it.

Related: Tomato chickpea skillet, Black bean tacos.