Simple Vegetarian White Bean Soup

Got a few pantry staples on hand? Combine these with just a couple of fresh veggies to make this Simple Vegetarian White Bean Soup, an easy & satisfying Meatless Monday soup recipe that can be on your table in 35 minutes!

Yesterday was Meatless Monday,  which made me realize that although we do eat a lot of meatless meals, I haven’t posted a new vegetarian recipe in a while. (So much to cook, so little time…) So, here’s what I threw together for dinner last night with a few pantry staples + half a bag of spinach that needed used up on the timely: Simple Vegetarian White Bean Soup.

This easy & affordable vegetarian weeknight dinner recipe takes just 35 minutes start to finish, and is full of hearty white beans to keep you satisfied.

I also threw some shredded Parmesan cheese on my bowl, because — well, because I like Parmesan. And, because it adds a little more zip and tang to a hearty bowl of soup. (Without the optional Parmesan topping, however, the soup itself is completely vegan.)

Looking for more vegetarian recipe ideas? Take a few minutes to browse through the Meatless Monday category for additional dinner options — or, check out fifteen favorite meatless meals to jump start your vegetarian cooking.

Simple Vegetarian White Bean Soup

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup diced yellow onion
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped (or 2 tsp minced garlic)
3 cans Cannellini and/or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable broth
1 can diced tomatoes (I used petite diced)
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
Black pepper, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
4 oz fresh spinach

Directions

Chop up the onion, carrot, and garlic.

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat for 1-2 minutes (turn on the burner when you’re near done chopping the veggies). Add the chopped onion and carrot and saute for seven minutes or until veggies begin to soften, stirring occasionally.

While the veggies are sauteing, rinse and drain the beans. Mash up half of the beans with a potato masher (or puree in a food processor if you prefer a thicker, smoother broth).

Once veggies begin to soften, add the garlic and saute briefly. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, all three cans of beans, and all of the spices.

Increase the heat under the pot to bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, stir, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the spinach until wilted. Serve topped with shredded Parmesan, if desired.

Note: I used two cans of Cannellini beans and one can of Great Northern beans in my soup today. This easy white bean soup is completely vegan, as long as you leave off the Parmesan cheese or use your own favorite substitute.

There’s nothing like a big comforting pot of soup for fall

See? Easy-peasy to throw together, but so much flavor when you combine just a few basic ingredients that work well together.

Full disclosure: Middle School Guy did say that this soup would be better with sausage. You could certainly throw in some vegan sausage for added smokiness and protein if desired, but I thought it worked quite nicely without. Mashing up half of the beans gives you a nice, thick, protein-packed broth, while the carrots, spinach, & tomatoes add some colorful nutrition.

This simple vegetarian white bean soup recipe is naturally gluten free.

More vegetarian soup recipes?

Not feeling white bean soup today? Here are a few more Meatless Monday soup recipes you might enjoy.

• Vegetarian taco soup with quinoa
• Tortellini cannellini creamy tomato beany soup
• Cheesy summer corn soup
• Roasted cauliflower, potato, & corn chowder
• Slow cooker very vegetable soup
• Zuppa Toscana inspired cream of mushroom soup

It’s so easy (and so satisfying) to throw together a big, comforting pot of vegetarian soup!

Simple Vegetarian White Bean Soup, printable recipe

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