Hearty White Kidney (Cannallini) Bean Soup – Vegan

Savory Vegetarian dried White Kidney (Cannallini) Bean Soup cooked in TOMATO flavors is DELICIOUS and HEARTY for all seasons of the year as it’s broth is a bit chunky but not super-thick. Low-fat, meat-free, dairy-free and gluten-free, this white bean soup caters to a wide variety of diets and bean-soup lovers.

All you do is cook pre-soaked dry beans in some choppped onions, fresh garlic cloves, fresh herbs, and fresh tomatoes and you end up with a white bean soup filling delight! Can you imagine an EASIER bean soup that calls for just ONE-POT?

Serving with… According to the type of meal

So, when preparing soup for others, the quesiton that always arises is: Is the soup enough for the meal? Well, the answer is usually: It depends. Here are examples of how to serve this soup and what to serve it with:

• Serve a main dish – Pair with white rice. It’s suitable for an intimate setting for 2 to 3 people when there’s no time to prepare lunch or dinner. You can eat the white rice on the side or add to the soup itself.
• Serve as a side dish – If you plan on making a fish or meat dish, this would be a perfect side dish. In this case too, you can add white rice too as another side or add the rice to the soup. Together, it would be a filling meal.
• Serve as a co-main dish – For yet another casual Pair with a large fresh salad. You can have one salad with chicken breast strips and another salad for those who are vegetarians. In this case, I wouldn’t serve rice. Soft whole wheat bread with a thick brown crust would do the job. For extra charm, you can place a bread knife on the side of the bread and each diner will slice a peice of her/his own. Alternatively, freshly sliced baguette or pita bread cut into halves are always welcome.

Ingredients of vegetarian dried white kidney bean soup

Dried White Kidney (Cannallini) Beans – The justifyably hero ingredient as they are wholesome: an excellent source of fibers, proteins and carbs. So, in essense, 2 servings of this soup can perform as a filling meal on its own.

Fresh Tomatoes – You could just use a can of crushed or finely grated tomatoes or sub with tomato paste. But you probably will enjoy the acidity of freshly grated or chopped tomatoes. Speaking of acidity, it’s best to not add more than a bit of the tomato contents to the initial cooking stage as it might prevent the outer skin of the bean as well as parts of its inside from completely softening. I used to end up with a few beans not 100% soft and couldn’t figure out why. Not everyone knows that sauteing ingredients in oil extracts their flavors and takes them to their fullest potential. I always saute some of the tomatoes before adding the water and most of the time all of the beans are completely soft. I then add the rest of the tomato contents towards the end of the cooking time.

Onions and Garlic Sauteed in Oil – I’ve never come across a flavorful soup that doesn’t contain meat if I don’t saute onions and sometimes garlic in oil first as substitutes. Simply tossing them into boiling water doesn’t do quite as good of a job.

Fresh Cilantro or Parsley leaves – Both, or one or the other bump up any dish.

Kosher Salt – Using Kosher salt, which most often, than not, is not processed. Besides being a healthier option, its minerals add flavors to any dish that you just can’t get with table salt which is processed. From what I understand, many salt products labled ‘Sea Salt’ are processed too.

Optional Cumin Powder and Turmeric – Add and saute if you’d like a Middle Eastern twist. I use them in most of my cooking.

Lemon Juice – Optional

Interesting Point of Information

Kosher Salt is not Kosher. I once saw a video of someone who said that Kosher salt is called Kosher because it’s blessed by a Rabbi. I had a good laugh! It’s just used to extract blood from meat or poultry that was slaughtered according the Jewish Law. Consuming blood is forbidden according to Judaism and large salt granules do the job.

Instructions for One-pot white bean soup

Pre-Soak

For Delicious Vegan Bean Soup, pre-soak raw beans in water in fridge, over-night .

Defrosted beans, on the other hand, are less optimal because they will end up overly mushy.

One-Pot White Bean Soup

Saute onions in oil. Add garlic and spices (if you plan on using turmeric an cumin powder) including the salt and pepper.

Add a bit of the tomatoes, the herb and white kidney beans.

Add the water and cook while stirring occasionally.

Toss in the optional lemon juice rest of the tomatoes and adjust flavors. Cook for another few minutes.

Good luck and Enjoy!

If you have any questions, comments or insights, please do so in the Comments section below.