You can use what you already have to make this easy and reliable vegetable and bean soup recipe. If you don’t have a leek, an onion will work just fine. No celery? Use more carrots! No white beans? Throw in some chickpeas. Not a fan of kale? Skip it or sub another green!.
With leeks, onions, garlic, a few non-starchy vegetables (like carrots, celery, tomatoes, zucchini, and green beans), some starchy vegetables (like potatoes and rutabagas), and some legumes (like beans, lentils, and peas), you’re good to go! Pick your own adventure!
A hearty vegetable soup is a classic comfort food that never goes out of style. It’s nourishing, filling, and can easily be adapted to use whatever you have on hand. While the veggies are the star of the show, beans play an important supporting role in rounding out the flavor and adding protein.
But with so many bean varieties available, it can be tricky to narrow down your options. Here, I’ll outline 13 of the best beans to mix into your next vegetable soup recipe. Let’s dive in!
Great Northern Beans
Delicate and creamy, great northern beans are my top choice for vegetable soups Their mild flavor won’t compete with the veggies, but adds nice texture and protein. Plus, their bright white color looks beautiful mixed into soups. Feel free to use canned or dried great northern beans Just drain and rinse before adding to the pot.
Cannellini Beans
These popular Italian white beans have a lovely smooth, nutty flavor. Their starchiness helps thicken and enrich vegetable soups. I like to mash some of the beans right in the pot to create a creamier consistency. Cannellini beans pair nicely with rosemary, thyme, and sage.
Fava Beans
Fresh fava beans require a bit more prep work, but their complex, earthy flavor is worth it. Fava beans are a nice change of pace from standard soup beans, with their unique sweet and bitter notes. They hold their shape nicely during cooking too. Just blanch and peel the outer skin before adding to soup.
Flageolet Beans
Another delicate white bean, flageolets work beautifully in vegetable soups. They maintain their shape and offer a subtle nutty, earthy taste. Flageolets won’t overtake the flavor of the veggies, but will add protein and texture. Let them soak up the surrounding broth flavors.
Lima Beans
Buttery, starchy lima beans are ideal for thickening up vegetable soups. I like to mash some of the cooked lima beans directly into the pot to create a lusciously creamy base. Their mild flavor pairs well with corn, carrots, peas, and potatoes. Just a half cup of limas really enhances soup texture.
Kidney Beans
A veggie soup staple, kidney beans offer their trademark hearty meatiness along with a dose of fiber and antioxidants. They’re sturdy enough to hold up to cooking without breaking down too much. For a chili-style soup, cook kidney beans with tomatoes, corn, and peppers.
Navy Beans
Check your pantry – you may already have these versatile beans on hand! With their mild flavor and powdery texture, navy beans work with just about any vegetable combo They’re especially nice paired with onions, carrots, and celery Let navy beans soak up the surrounding flavors of your soup.
Pinto Beans
My favorite bean for Southwest-style vegetable soups is the pinto bean. Their pink speckled skin and creamy taste complement corn peppers tomatoes, and spices like cumin wonderfully. Mash some pinto beans to thicken chili-style soups. Rinse canned pintos before adding to remove excess salt.
Black Beans
Earthy, meaty black beans add great texture and visual appeal to vegetable soups. They hold their shape nicely during cooking and provide a dose of antioxidants. Pair black beans with sweet potatoes, corn, and cabbage for a hearty soup. I like to season them with cumin and chili powder.
Chickpeas
Also called garbanzo beans, chickpeas work nicely in Mediterranean-style vegetable soups. Their firm texture and nutty taste complement tomatoes, zucchini, spinach, and peppers. Toss whole or pureed chickpeas into minestrone and other veggie-packed soups.
Lentils
Though they’re technically a legume, lentils have a place in vegetarian soups as well. Red and brown lentils break down into a thickening agent, while green and black lentils hold their shape. The earthy flavor and protein make them a satisfying addition. Cook lentils right in the soup pot.
Split Peas
Both green and yellow split peas are ideal for thickening up vegetable soups, thanks to their high starch content. Much of that starch turns into soluble fiber too, for an added health bonus. Cook up some carrots, onions, celery, potatoes, and split peas for a comforting soup.
Soybeans
For a plant-based protein punch, try adding cooked soybeans to your next vegetable soup. Their mild beany flavor works with any combo of veggies. Soybeans contain antioxidants along with fiber, vitamin K, copper, and folate. Just be sure to fully cook them before adding to soup.
With all these diverse bean options, you can mix up the protein in your vegetable soups. Beans complement the vegetables and deliver a boost of nutrition. Next time you cook up a batch of veggie soup, try adding a new bean variety to the mix.
More Comforting Soup Recipes
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How to Make Vegetable Soup
To start this flawlessly flexible dish, leeks, celery, carrots, and garlic combine for a savory, caramelized, and super classic flavor base! This combination is similar to the more traditional mirepoix that is used as a base in many soups and dishes around the world!
Next, we add Yukon gold potatoes (but any kind will do) along with white beans and lentils for protein and fiber to make a soup that is filling and tasty. Nearly any bean or legume would work well here. Who’s ready to clean out the pantry?.
Lastly, we add some kale (or other greens of choice) for added nourishment and texture. Optionally, top with parsley, vegan parmesan cheese, and croutons for extra freshness, flavor, and comfort. YUM.
We hope you LOVE this vegetable and bean soup. It’s: Comforting Warming Nourishing Quick & easy Flexible & Perfect for meal prep!.
This is the soup you want when you don’t have much in the fridge, it’s cold outside, and you want a comforting meal. Delicious on its own or served with grilled “cheese” or garlic bread!.
Easy Vegetable Soup Recipe | Beyond Easy!
FAQ
What goes best with vegetable soup?
What can I add to vegetable soup to give it more flavor?
What are the best canned beans for soup?
What is vegetable soup made of?
What beans go well in vegetable soup?
Luckily, there are so many types of beans that go well in vegetable soup, so you are very likely to find your favorite on the list! Some of the best beans for vegetable soup include cannellini beans, great northern beans, and fava beans.
What is the best way to eat beans?
The best way to eat beans is to first cook them in a large pot of water, about 4 cups of water to every 1 cup of beans. Adding lemon grass or other herbs to the water can improve the flavor. Once beans are cooked the best thing to do is combine them with cooked rice, this is because beans are low in methionine and rice is low in lysine, so combining them makes a more complete protein.
Can you make vegetable soup with beans?
There are so many ingredients and recipes you can use to make vegetable soup, which means it is a great recipe to make your own. One ingredient you can bulk the soup up with, and use to add texture, is beans. Below are the best beans to add to a vegetable soup.
Is vegetable bean soup good?
Vegetable bean soup can really do it all. This minestrone-like soup is hearty and comforting, protein-rich, and packed with fiber. It’s a reliable bean soup recipe that you will find yourself coming back to again and again. Even better, it’s an incredibly adaptable recipe.