Hearty Italian White Bean Basil Soup
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!
Servings: 4 -5 bowls
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