Tomato & Cannellini Bean Soup

🛒 Ingredients

• #Soup Base;
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil — plus extra for drizzling
• 1 medium onion — finely diced.. 2 cloves garlic — minced finely
• 1 medium carrot — finely diced (optional, adds sweetness)
• 800 g canned crushed tomatoes — with juices
• 2 cans (400 g each) cannellini beans — drained and rinsed
• 1 litre vegetable stock.. 1 tsp dried oregano or basil
• ½ tsp smoked paprika.. ½ tsp sea salt.. ¼ tsp black pepper
• Pinch of sugar or maple syrup — to balance tomato acidity
• #Greens & Finish;
• 2 cups fresh spinach, chard, or kale — stems removed, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme or rosemary — chopped.. Fresh parsley — for garnish
• Toasted almonds or bread croutons — for topping (optional)

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1

   Sauté aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrot — cook 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add garlic, oregano, and paprika — cook 1 minute more until fragrant, do not brown.

2. 2

   Build the soup: Pour in crushed tomatoes, vegetable stock, half the beans, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer 15–20 minutes until flavours meld and soup thickens slightly.

3. 3

   Creamy texture secret: Scoop out 1–2 cups of soup and blend until smooth, then stir back into the pot — this gives a lovely creamy texture without dairy. Or simply mash some beans right in the soup with a fork.

4. 4

   Add remaining beans & greens: Stir in the rest of the whole cannellini beans and chopped greens. Simmer 5 minutes more until beans are hot and greens have wilted beautifully. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or acidity — add a squeeze of lemon juice if it needs brightness.

5. 5

   Serve: Ladle into warm bowls. Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil, crack plenty of black pepper, and top with fresh herbs, toasted almonds, or croutons. Enjoy hot!