Tuscan white bean soup makes for a yummy and simple soup that only takes thirty minutes to make, and it can even be cooked in a Crockpot! What makes this soup so yummy are the white cannellini beans, lentils, lots of veggies, and rainbow chard. This white bean soup is filled with lots of flavor and is creamy while still being vegan. I hope you love this Tuscan white bean soup recipe as much as I do!
What Kind Of White Beans Are Good For Soup?
If you are looking for the best type of white bean that can be used in many ways, great northern beans are the top option. It has a great nutty flavor that combines well with many other food types. You can use great northern beans not only in soup but also in a salad, chili, dip, or even on a pizza! You can get them from the grocery store canned or dry and cook them yourself when needed.
Are Cannellini Beans The Same As White Beans?
Cannellini beans are considered a type of white bean and are a popular type used in a wide array of cooking. Cannellini beans are native to the southern portion of Italy. They are one of the larger-sized beans, oval-shaped with a nutty flavor and a creamy mouthfeel. Cannellini beans are also known as white kidney beans. Cannellini beans are frequently used in Mediterranean dishes and go well mixed with bitter greens like escarole, turnips, or mustards.
Do White Beans Have To Be Soaked Before Cooking?
You do not have to soak beans before cooking them. You can just put them in the pot you plan on making your recipe in, but an extra hour or two will need to be added to the scheduled cooking time. It will be essential to keep an eye on the liquid amount, adding more if the pot starts to look low, with the beans soaking up the liquid. As the beans cook, the liquid should always be higher than the level of the beans.
If you prefer to soak your beans before cooking them, two methods can be used: quick or overnight soaking. Quick soaking involves utilizing only a few hours to soak the beans within the same day you plan to cook them. Put the beans in a large pot, cover the beans with water with an extra two inches on top, add salt if you wish, and then bring the water and beans to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat and allow the beans to soak for at least an hour. You will then drain and rinse them before continuing with your recipe.
For overnight soaking, the beans will be added to a large bowl that is big enough for water to cover the beans, along with an extra two inches on top. Add one to two tablespoons of salt per pound of beans, and then allow them to soak for a minimum of four hours and a maximum of twelve hours. Drain and rinse them before continuing with your recipe.
What Is The Thickener In A White Bean Soup?
It depends on the recipe you are making. However, with most white bean soups, what aids in thickening it is the white beans. Some recipes add potatoes to the soup, with a starch content that thickens the soup. Other recipes instead might add a thickening agent to the soup, such as cornstarch or flour.
What If My Bean Soup Needs More Flavor?
Some ways to add even more flavor to your white bean soup if you find it bland are a vegan version of bouillon cubes, hot sauce, whatever dried herbs or spices you believe would go well with the other flavors in the soup, fresh spinach, salsa verde, or pesto. What you choose depends on what flavor you think would be best added to the soup and which of these you feel would conflict with the current flavors.
Looking for more amazing plant-based soup recipes? Here's a few Assuaged favorites to try!
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Simple Instant Pot Vegan Miso Soup
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Vegan Tempeh Khao Soi Soup
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Vietnamese LemonGrass Pho Noodle Recipe
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Roasted Onion Eucalyptus Vegan Soup
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Anaheim Potato and Asparagus Wild Rice Quinoa Stew
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What’s your favorite vegan soup recipe? Please feel free to share with on the links below, or how you spiced up your One-Pot Plant-Based Mexican Soup, we'd love to hear from you! And remember you can also share your own recipes with us the Assuaged community on our ➡️Share Your Recipe⬅️ page!
Resources
Carmichael, K. (2023, November 22). Tuscan White Bean Soup. Kathy's Vegan Kitchen.
Clark, M. (N.d.). How to Cook Beans. NYT Cooking.
Koren, T. (2022, October 7). Creamy White Bean Soup. WorkWeek Lunch.
MasterClass. (2021, June 7). What Are White Beans? 7 Ways to Enjoy White Beans. MasterClass.
N.d. (2014, October 27). My boring bland bean soup! Ask MetaFilter.
Randall Beans. (2014, September 25). White Beans: Great Northern White Beans vs. Navy Beans vs. Cannellini Beans. Randall.
