Vegan Oil-free Hearty Italian White Bean Basil Soup is full of Italian herbs and fresh basil and is super hearty thanks to protein-rich white beans and hearty rice. This will have your house smelling absolutely amazing too!
Oh, what an exciting post I have for you all today! It’s a new year with lots of exciting things to come on the blog. First up, is this Hearty Italian White Bean Basil Soup! Vegan, gluten-free and oil-free and just 8 ingredients! I wrote this recipe for my favorite home store ever, Pottery Barn. When they contacted me to create a healthy, simple recipe to kick off the new year, I jumped at the chance!
Everybody is always making New Year’s resolutions and thinking about diet changes or exercise routines. Most people think that you have to eat nothing but boring salads to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Well, I wanted to showcase a recipe that was much more interesting than salad, and at this time of year when it’s cold, a soup is perfect.
This soup is incredibly high in protein and nearly fat-free. It is not only delicious, but a healthy start to the new year.
HOW TO MAKE ITALIAN WHITE BEAN BASIL SOUP
You will need just 8 simple ingredients:
- brown rice
- low sodium vegetable broth
- yellow onion
- garlic cloves
- tomatoes
- Italian seasoning
- white beans
- fresh basil
First, prepare the rice by bringing 1 cup broth to a boil and then add the rice, salt and stir and immediately turn to the lowest heat setting and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes or until all the broth is evaporated.
While the rice is cooking, chop your vegetables. Add the onion and garlic to a large pot over medium heat with ONLY 1/2 cup of the broth and sauté for 5-8 minutes until tender, stirring frequently.
Add the remaining 4 1/2 cups broth, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and chili powder. Stir well and bring to a high boil. Once boiling, turn down to medium-high and cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, cover and cook on medium-low for another 10 minutes.
Lastly, add the drained beans, fresh basil and cooked rice. Stir well and bring back to a boil. Once boiling, let it cook on high for 5-10 more mins until heated through. Taste and add any additional spices if needed. Serve immediately and garnish with more fresh basil, if desired.
This soup has Italian herbs throughout, a fresh tomato base, hearty white beans, textured rice and fresh basil. You will feel full and satisfied and not bored by it, I promise. I used Pottery Barn’s gorgeous Vintage Wood Bowls. I wanted to serve the soup in something other than your expected white bowls. I’m a huge fan of distressed, worn woods and pieces and these bowls are just beautiful.
A huge thank you to Pottery Barn for sponsoring this post. Be sure to check out Pottery Barn and blog to see this recipe featured.
Can’t wait to hear what you think of this Hearty Italian White Bean Basil Soup!
Hearty Italian White Bean Basil Soup
Ingredients
Recipe has been updated to include optional tomato sauce for a richer tomato flavor. It makes it even MORE amazing!!
- 1/2 cup (72g) uncooked long grain brown rice + 1 cup low-sodium broth
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
FOR THE SOUP
- 5 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup (240g) tomato sauce
- 1 packed cup finely diced yellow onion
- 4 large garlic cloves (1 large tbsp minced)
- 2 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper (I added 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper)
- Optional: I love a little heat to everything so I added a heaping tsp chili powder, or pinch chili flakes would work too)
- two 15 oz low-sodium canned white beans, drained & rinsed
- 1/2 packed cup finely chopped fresh basil (don't leave this out, it really brings it all together!)
Note
- I used an Italian spice blend that you can find at any grocery store. Mine is a combo of basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, savory, fennel, sage and marjoram. Some versions have red pepper or salt, so I would avoid those as it could make the soup really spicy.
Instructions
- In a medium pot, prepare the rice first by bringing 1 cup broth to a boil and then add the rice, salt and stir and immediately turn to the lowest heat setting and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes or until all the broth is evaporated. Return the lid and let it sit covered 10 minutes.
- While the rice is cooking, chop your vegetables. Add the onion and garlic to a large pot over medium heat with ONLY 1/2 cup of the broth and sauté for 5-8 minutes until tender, stirring frequently. Add the remaining 4 1/2 cups broth, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and chili powder. Stir well and bring to a high boil. Once boiling, turn down to medium-high and cover and cook for 10 minutes. This really infuses the broth with flavor.
- Now add the tomatoes, cover and cook on medium-low for another 10 minutes.
- Lastly, add the drained beans, fresh basil and cooked rice. Stir well and bring back to a boil. Once boiling, let it cook on high for 5-10 more mins until heated through. Taste and add any additional spices if needed. Serve immediately and garnish with more fresh basil, if desired.
Notes
- Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, nut-free
- Nutrition per serving: 271.4 calories, 14.12 g protein, .6 g fat, 51.54 carbs, 6.2 g sugars
Just made it. YUMMMMMMY!!! Thanks!
Wonderful Linda, I’m so happy to hear that!
Started typing this review before last step was complete. My kitchen smells like heaven! Can’t wait to serve this soup w crusty sourdough bread. YUM.
20 minutes later: WINNER! Hearty, creamy, bursting w flavor. Already looking forward to lunch tomorrow.
Thanks, Brandi!
Yay!! So happy you loved it Courtney, thank you for the feedback!!
Just has it for lunch. Easy and yummy. I had problems finding fresh basil, I used dehydrated. I’m sure it would be better with fresh basil, still it was very very good!
Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Alberto! Yes, fresh basil takes it over the top!
Hmmmm, well I don’t even know where to begin on my review of this recipe. It is BY FAR my favorite recipe of any soup I’ve ever made! I made mine a little too spicy for my young kids so I had to add a bit more water to it so it didn’t turn out as thick looking as Brandi’s BUT, even with the heat, my 7 & 8 year olds loved it so much, I didn’t ONCE have to yell at them to eat. As a matter of fact, they ate it so fast, asked for seconds and then asked if they could take any leftovers to school for lunch! I’m already looking forward to eating the leftovers tomorrow morning for breakfast! 😋
Thank you so much Samantha for the amazing feedback! I’m so happy to hear it, that is wonderful your kids loved it too!
Yum!!! Made this for dinner tonight. It was delish! I am slowly changing to a vegan diet. My Husband isn’t following my lead. So unfortunately we’re usually cooking two separate meals. But he wasn’t in the mood to cook tonight and had this wonderful soup with me. We both loved it!! It is so flavorful and very filling. He’s “resting up” right now and says he’s going back for more in a bit. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. We loved it!
That is so awesome! Thank you so much for the feedback Mimi!
Made this the other night and it was soooo good and smelled absolutely amazing. Only problem was that I cooked my own beans instead of using canned, and apparently I am not so good at that. I had some major texture issues with the beans, which is tragic because it tasted so wonderful and I wanted to gobble it all down. I’m gonna make it again for our church Christmas party — with canned beans this time — and I’m really looking forward to it 🙂
So glad you loved this Brianna and yes make sure to use the canned! Thank you so much for the feedback!
I just took this off the stove and I must tell you, this is a home run! I am vegan and my flexitarian husband eats mostly vegetarian, bit misses animal protein sometimes. He said he could have this soup every week, so thank you for sharing!
So very awesome to hear that Cindi, thank you for letting me know!
Hi Brandi! Made this in my Instant Pot tonight! I sautéed the onion and garlic using water, then put everything in but the rice and basil. 5 minutes on high pressure, natural release. Then stirred in the rice and basil. YUM! Thanks for another great tecipe!
That is so wonderful to hear Lisa! So glad it turned out so well in the Instant Pot!
How long does this soup keep in the fridge?
About a week!
I just made this and it is delicious – you cannot leave out the basil. It provides really great flavor to the soup.I didn’t not have tomatoes so i subbed Pomi chopped tomatoes.
Love it – thank you so much for another great recipe. Its easy to be vegan with all these great recipes.
T
Thank you so much Terri! And I agree, that’s why I noted how important that fresh basil is because dried just will not cut it here, haha! So glad you loved it. I make it pretty much weekly!
Again, I am not a commenter, ever! but I am commenting for a second time on one of your recipes.. This one knocked it out of the park with flavor. You did it again! Thank you! My 15 month old was shoveling it in. That is a HUGE complement to the recipe. 😉 Also, I made it with lima beans, and it was to die for and so filling. Highly recommend!
Also, I am loving lima beans, maybe think about developing a recipe or two for the misunderstood lima. ;))?
Thank you so much Amanda, I’m so happy you loved this soup!! Even better that your baby loved it too, yay! Thank you for the review!
I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve made this recipe. It’s soooo good! I have fresh basil from the garden and will be making this soup (yet again) to put it to good use. Thanks for this delicious recipe!
my house smells like a small cafe up in the mountains somewhere with a chef that really knows his or her soups! thank you so much. my husband IS REALLY GOING TO LOVE THIS WHEN HE GETS HOME FROM HIS LONG DAY AT WORK. 🙂
I can’t even begin to describe how good this soup is. So much flavor! I will be making this again for sure! Can’t wait to try some other recipes you have on your site.
Wonderful to hear that Jackie, thank you so very much for leaving an awesome review!!
It was a cold rainy day here in NJ. This recipe came across my FB feed and I knew this was the soup I had to make. It was super easy and there was a lot of flavors. I added a bag of fresh baby spinach in the last stage. You never add enough greens. Can ya?
That is so wonderful to hear Scott! Thank you so much for the awesome feed! And yes, to more greens!
So delicious! I have tried so many of your soup recipes and they’re always amazing! I only had pinto beans to put in this recipe and it was still great (even to the non-vegetarian in the house).
Aww, thank you so much Kim! So glad to hear how much you love my soup recipes! So glad you enjoyed this one as well!
This was so good. Whole family loved it
So happy to hear that Linda, thank you!
Every time I serve this soup to our company (several times) they ALWAYS ask for the recipe. Our absolute favorite, hands down! Thank you for this recipe. I am becoming known as such a good cook 🙂
That is so wonderful to hear Diane, thank you so much for letting me know! Yay!
Girl this looks amazing. I have my eye on this recipe to make next. I don’t know if you will see this comment but I have a couple of silly questions. Hahaha Just because I am a gimp in the kitchen and it is only because of you that I can cook at all. Haha So my question is the brown rice that I buy says it takes 35 minutes to cook plus 10 minutes sitting time. So my question is should I cook according to my package directions? Or should I follow your instructions? Did you intend for the rice to be a little under cooked since you later add it into the soup and cook a little longer?
And one other really lame question for the basil should I measure out a packed 1/4 cup while they are still whole? So measure it out before chopping it or do I chop it first and then measure out a packed 1/4 cup of the chopped basil? Or does it not matter? hahaha is that the dumbest question you ever got on a recipe? Hahaha If so I am sorry. 🙂
Hey! Not silly questions at all! I’ve noticed different packages will list different times and also depending on the water used. Is yours a 2:1 ratio of water to rice? You can just follow your package directions, that is fine. Mine is fully cooked when I add it, so as long as you stick to using 1/2 cup dry rice, then you will be fine 🙂
As for the basil, it’s 1/4 packed cup of the chopped basil, not whole leaves 🙂 Chop first and then measure. This is NOT a dumb question, I promise you! 🙂
Thanks so much for answering my questions. Yes the instructions on my bag use a 2 to 1 ratio of water to rice. I thought it was 35 minutes cooking time but I looked again and it is 40 minutes cook time and 10 minutes sitting time. I will cook it to the package directions. Thanks so much.
Yes I am absolutely in love with this soup. It is like healthy comfort food and to me there is nothing better then that. And you are so right the fresh basil really does set this soup off. The flavor on this soup was just perfect and it was filling and satisfying. I can’t say enough about it. I needed to come and give this recipe 5 stars!!
Oh my goodness, this was SO good!!!! Thank you for all your hard work and for sharing your lovely recipes with us! I appreciate it!
Made this soup this weekend! I added green beans and some baby potatoes. Delicious!
So glad you loved it!
Just made this soup last night and LOVED it. The fresh basil does add so much, but so does the chili powder you had us add. I love that kick you experience with each mouthful. It tells me later that I’ve eaten and adds to the feeling of satiety. Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe!
Yay! Thrilled to hear that Judy! Thank you so much for such a fantastic review!!
The sun finally came out after much rain but its also cold at night so im obviously still craving soup. I looked at this and felt it was hard but little lighter and let me tell you IT IS PERFECT. A little bit if Spring with the fresh basil and tomatoes. Very flavorful with a kick of spice since I added that chili powder. I had 2 bowls for lunch and don’t feel overly full.
Thank you so much Estee for this amazing review!! Oh yes, I always add that chili powder, adds such a lovely warmth!
Thank you for your yummy and easy recipes! Even my toddler liked this soup! I accidentally bought vegan protein broth (basically veggie broth with soy milk as the base), but it made a very creamy delicious version!
Wonderful Katie, so happy to hear that it was such a hit! Thank you for the feedback!
I made this soup/stew and brought it for lunch. It is so good! So easy to prepare and delicious.
This soup was fabulous!! I am going to keep it in my rotation.
Thank you Dena for the lovely review!!
Any idea how I could adapt this for the Instant Pot? Looks so good!
Hi Jodi, I’m sorry, I don’t idn an instant pot, so I have no idea. However, this soup is so fast to come together, it really isn’t necessary!
This is really good. I replaced the rice with 1/2 cup of uncooked lentils and cooked it all in my Instant Pot for 10 minutes with only half of the basil. Talk about flavor! This will be a new staple in our house.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it! And lentils sound lovely!
The soup is absolutely sensational! And the house smells so good. Thank you so much for an excellent recipe and a nutritious meal. And let me add that it was really easy to make
I love the look of this recipe and can’t wait to make it but I get a little confused with American recipes.
I want to know when you say ‘tomato sauce’ are you referring to tomato puree or passata? Over here tomato sauce is a condiment lol. Thank you 🙂
Hi! I mean Passata!
I’ve made this recipe several times, and it never disappoints. It’s perfect for any occasion – for meal prep for work lunches, for your friend who’s recovering from an illness, or even tonight to serve my parents while they were staying with me. It’s my go-to recipe! Thanks so much Brandi!