Mediterranean-inspired Chunky Tomato Soup is a hearty vegan meal featuring creamy white beans in a smoky tomato-based broth. It's easy to make in under an hour and perfect for meal prep and freezer meals.
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I received a complimentary copy of Vegan Comfort Cooking to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
If you enjoy flavorful tomato-based soups like creamy vegan tomato soup and vegan vegetable soup, this Chunky Tomato Soup recipe is for you. It's easy to make with pantry ingredients and is ready to eat in under and hour.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- It's made with ingredients you may already have on hand.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes, smoked paprika, and lots of garlic make it incredibly flavorful.
- The leftovers taste amazing, plus they are freezer friendly.
This tomato and bean soup recipe is by Melanie McDonald, the creator of A Virtual Vegan, from her popular cookbook, Vegan Comfort Cooking. In the book, it goes by the name Smoky Tomato and White Bean Soup.
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Celery
- Fresh garlic
- Smoked paprika (Or substitute chipotle powder for a spicier soup)
- Ground cumin
- Tomato paste
- Canned fire-roasted tomatoes
- Vegetable broth
- Sugar
- Canned white beans (Look for white kidney beans or cannellini beans)
Variations
Chunky Tomato Soup is easy to customize to suit your tastes. Try adding any of these ingredients for even more flavor:
- Top with grated vegan parmesan cheese.
- Finish with fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, or oregano.
- Blend a portion of the soup and add it back to the pot for a smoother texture.
- Drizzle a little cashew cream on top.
- Serve it with warm sliced baguette or a vegan grilled cheese sandwich for dunking.
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
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Instructions
- Saute the onion and celery in olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat until soft and golden brown.
- Add the garlic and seasonings and saute for a minute or two more.
- Then add the tomatoes, liquid, and beans to the pot.
- Simmer until the soup is thick enough for your liking.
Amy's tip
If you are following a low-sodium diet, choose reduced or no salt added vegetable stock, or use water instead. Taste and add salt as needed rather than using the 2 teaspoons suggested in the recipe.
Serving suggestions
Chunky Tomato Soup is a complete meal on its own. I like to enjoy it with some warm crusty bread like sourdough.
Or try it with a simple starter or salad like tomato and avocado toast or a green salad with artichoke hearts and olives.
Storing and freezing
Leftover tomato and bean soup will last refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. It will thicken up quite a bit. If you prefer a thinner soup, add a little water or vegetable stock to the soup before reheating.
To freeze, divide the cooled soup into individual portions and place in glass containers. Leave at least ½ inch of space at the top, then cover with a lid and freeze. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat before serving.
Recipe FAQs
If canned fire roasted tomatoes are unavailable, canned diced tomatoes can be used instead. And you can add a little smoked paprika to them for extra flavor.
Since both beans have a meaty texture and hold up well in soups and stews, you can substitute chickpeas (garbanzo beans) in place of the cannellini beans.
Both smoked paprika and sweet paprika are made from crushed dried chili peppers. However, in the smoked version, the chilies are dried over a fire, resulting in a rich, smoky flavor.
More vegan cannellini bean recipes
And for even more recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook group for support, inspiration & fun!
📋 Recipe
Chunky Tomato Soup with Cannellini Beans
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Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil, (or water for an oil-free version)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2-15 ounce cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 Tablespoon organic sugar
- 3-15 ounce cans cannellini beans, or white kidney beans (4½ cups), drained and rinsed
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil or water (for oil-free cooking) over medium heat.
- Sauté the onion and celery for about 10 minutes, until they are starting to go golden brown. If you are using water to sauté, you will need to add a little more water every few minutes to prevent the onion and celery from sticking.
- Add the garlic, smoked paprika and cumin and continue to cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Then add all the other ingredients. Stir well to combine, allow to come to a simmer and cook for another 20 minutes.
- Add a little water to adjust the consistency to your liking, check the seasoning and adjust to taste, then serve.
Notes
- Refrigerated soup will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. It will thicken up quite a bit. If you prefer a thinner soup, add a little water or vegetable stock to the soup before reheating.
- To freeze, divide the cooled soup into individual portions and place in glass containers. Leave at least ½ inch of space at the top, then cover with a lid and freeze. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat before serving.
- If you are following a low-sodium diet, choose reduced or no salt added vegetable stock, or use water instead. Taste and add salt as needed rather than using the 2 teaspoons suggested in the recipe.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
Patricia G says
Hey, I’ve seen this recipe for a while, finally got to make it today. Instead of fire roasted, canned tomatoes, I oven roasted fresh tomatoes out of my garden. Very easy to make, tastes amazing, thanks so much!
Amy Katz says
What a fantastic idea!
Dave says
Great combination of flavors. Very easy to make and delicious. I'll definitely make it again.
Amy Katz says
So glad you enjoyed it, Dave!
Elizabeth says
I found this recipe while looking up ways to use up an opened can of tomato paste. It was so good! I also added some chopped spinach to mine because I like to get those greens into my diet.
Amy Katz says
Great idea, Elizabeth! I'm so happy you enjoyed the soup.
Pam says
Can I omit the sugar?
Amy Katz says
Yes, you can. The sugar helps if the tomatoes taste too acidic.
Tina L. says
Great soup! Thanks for all the recipes! I wanted to add some roasted red peppers but didn't have any, so I steamed a red bell pepper and used my immersion blender after adding it and before adding the beans. It didn't really change the flavor, just added a bit more nutrition - but the soup is already super healthy. If you have some leftover brown rice, that's good in it too!
Amy Katz says
Love those suggestions, Tina! So happy you enjoyed the soup.
Paula Pescatore says
Can you use chicken stock?
Amy Katz says
I don't see why not!
Susan says
I'm looking forward to trying this. I make a variation of this recipe fairly often, the main difference is, after cooking, I use a blender to blend the (undrained) beans and tomatoes. It's creamy without the cream.
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!
Amy Katz says
I hope you enjoy it, Susan! Blending the beans is a great idea.
Jenn says
Been waiting for this recipe to come into my life. I always go to my favorite Israeli restaurant to get white bean soup but theirs has oil and is spicier. This is PERFECT and I am in heaven!! Thank you.
Amy Katz says
That's fantastic to hear, Jenn!
M says
This soup was amazing!!!!!! I’ll double the recipe next time as it didn’t make enough.
Amy Katz says
That's fantastic to hear!
Valerie says
On January 1, 2020, I made this recipe and paired it with your recipes for Black-Eyed Pea dip and Savoy Cabbage Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette. So delicious and so many amazing vitamins and minerals in these three recipes. My mother came over to visit the next day, and I sent some of each of these dishes home with her; she loved them as well. I adore your easy to make recipes as well as your gentle way with words. xoxo
Amy Katz says
Thank you so much, Valerie! You made my day!
Angela says
I used butter beans, love this soup. The smell is yummy 😋 and the color lovely! Threw some spinach in at the end before serving.
Amy Katz says
Love those suggestions, thanks Angela!