Tomato and White Bean Soup

Rich and hearty, my tomato and white bean soup is a nutritious meal to warm the belly with when some TLC is what's called for. Prepared with good quality canned tomatoes, Italian sausage, aromatic fennel, garlic, tender navy beans, and spinach, this scrumptious soup recipe is absolutely divine on a chilly evening topped with freshly-grated parmesan!

A rich and hearty take on tomato soup

Soup, glorious soup...

Warming and cozy, there's little that compares to its rustic, savory and comforting simplicity. And when the weather turns chilly, both the body and soul are especially in need of some of its extra tender, loving care.

Whether we're craving a brothy style of soup like my easy vegetable beef soup or my kicked-up, Mexican-style chicken and rice soup, or even something a bit more substantial such as my chicken and dumpling soup or my rigatoni meatball soup, we are definitely partial to a comfy bowl of soup to settle down with in the evening.

Because I'm always coming up with fresh, new takes on soup, I'm very excited to share our latest favorite "magical elixir" in this tomato and white bean soup recipe…

Thick, rustic, and satisfying, and simply brimming with lots of savory flavor and all sorts of scrumptious bells and whistles, it's definitely a heartier take on classic tomato soup.

Certain to be on repeat in our household for months to come, this tomato and white bean soup recipe fills our home with amazing aroma, and our bellies with lots of comfy-coziness. It feels like warm hugs from within!

My recipe for tomato and white bean soup

When a bowl of soup is on the heartier side, filled with lots of good-for-you morsels, it's ideal to make a complete meal out of it.

I created my tomato and white bean soup to be filling and satisfying, and really out of this world with an accompaniment of rustic bread on the side, or croutons, plus a sprinkle of parmesan.

For this recipe, I use a couple of cans of organic whole tomatoes with their juices, and simply crush those tomatoes using my hands (my favorite kitchen tool!) or a pair of kitchen shears, just until crushed yet slightly chunky.

I also add in spicy Italian sausage since we like a bit of heat, but one can easily sub sweet Italian sausage, or even ground beef, turkey or chicken, or leave the meat out completely.

Lots of aromatics such as thinly sliced fennel, onion and garlic are added to the soup pot, as well as a splash of red wine for depth, and a touch of tomato paste for richness.

I love delicate navy beans here, but one could sub cannellini beans just as easily, as either of these add some substance by way of fiber and protein.

What's really great about this tomato and white bean soup is that it's quick to prepare, and only needs about 25 minutes of gentle simmering to tie all the flavors together, before some baby spinach is wilted in at the end (love those added greens!).

Rich, delicious, and vibrant, and it's definitely one of our favorite soups to ladle up!

Here's a glance at my tomato and white bean soup recipe:

(or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I place my large soup pot (at least 6 quarts) over medium heat, and add in my olive oil.
2. Then, I add my aromatics, followed by my Italian sausage.
3. Next, I add a bit of tomato paste followed by a splash of wine.
4. I then add my crushed tomatoes with juices, the white beans, and some chicken stock.
5. The soup simmers for about 25 minutes.
6. I then turn off the heat and add in my baby spinach, allowing it to wilt into the soup.
7. Finally, I finish the tomato and white bean soup with fresh herbs.
8. I ladle it up and top with freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and basil, and serve with warm bread, if desired.

Recipe

Tomato and White Bean Soup

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This hearty tomato and white bean soup brimming with Italian sausage and spinach is a wonderfully cozy way to warm up on a chilly evening!

Category: Soup
Cuisine: Italian-American

Yield: Serves 8

Nutrition Info: 528 calories (per serving)

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 (28 ounce) cans peeled, whole tomatoes with juices
• Olive oil
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 1 medium fennel bulb, halved and cored, then thinly sliced or diced
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 pound spicy or sweet Italian sausage
• 6 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 2 teaspoons (heaping) Italian seasoning
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• ¼ cup red wine
• 3 (15 ounce) cans navy beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 ½ cups chicken stock
• 5 ounce bag baby spinach
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and/or basil, plus extra for garnish
• Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for garnish

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Into a large bowl, add the whole tomatoes (leave their juices in the cans), and using clean hands, gently crush the tomatoes (or use kitchen shears or a knife) until chunky-smooth, yet with some texture still remaining. Pour the juices from the cans into these crushed tomatoes, and set aside.
3. Place a large soup pot (at least 6 quarts) over medium-high heat, and drizzle in about 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, add in the onion and the sliced or diced fennel, plus a generous pinch of salt and black pepper, and saute for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly golden and softened.
4. Next, crumble in the Italian sausage, and using a wooden spoon, break it up into small chunks/crumble, and cook with the onion and fennel for about 4 to 5 minutes, until fairly cooked through.
5. Then, add in the garlic and the Italian seasoning, and stir that into the sausage to incorporate, and cook together until aromatic, about 1 minute or so.
6. Next, stir in the tomato paste and cook for about 30 seconds, then pour in the wine and allow that to bubble up and reduce for a minute or two.
7. Then, add in the navy beans and the crushed tomatoes with their juices, and stir to incorporate. Pour in the chicken stock, stir, and bring the soup to a vigorous simmer.
8. Once the soup begins to simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer the tomato and white bean soup for 25 minutes.
9. To finish the soup, stir in the chopped parsley and/or basil. Ladle into bowls, and sprinkle with the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and extra herbs, if desired.

Tips & Tidbits for my tomato and white bean soup recipe:

• Canned whole, peeled tomatoes: Opting for canned, whole tomatoes is great here because you can crush them into the chunky consistency you like. I like to use clean hands to do this (it's fun!), but you could even use a knife or kitchen shears to chunk the tomatoes up. While you do want to crush them well, do leave some chunkiness to create texture in this soup.
• Spicy or sweet Italian sausage, your choice: Because I love a bit of spiciness in this soup, my personal pick is spicy Italian sausage, but feel free to use sweet if you prefer. You could even substitute ground beef or ground turkey or chicken, or even a vegetarian option, if desired.
• Delicate navy beans to add heartiness: While you could certainly use cannellini beans here, I'm opting for the slightly more delicate and tiny navy beans here. I like their creamy texture and thinner skin, and appreciate that they're a bit smaller. They do add a lot of terrific heartiness to this soup!
• Sub kale for spinach: If you prefer a more hearty green in this soup, feel free to substitute chopped kale for the spinach. Just cut out the center rib and chop the leaves, and add just as you would the spinach, at the end, allowing it to wilt into the hot soup.

Hungry for more scrumptious and cozy soup recipes? Check out my recipe for Tuscan Kale and Sausage Soup, Easy Vegetable Beef Soup, Green Minestrone Soup with Chicken, White Bean and Ham Soup, Italian Chicken and Autumn Veggie Soup, or even my recipe for Sausage Tortellini Soup!