Tuscan-Style Bean Soup: Squirrel Hill Food Pantry Healthy Recipe Series

Tuscan-Style Bean Soup

Photos and recipe from Cooking Classy

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 3/4 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 5 garlic cloves, minced*
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste**
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans cannellini beans or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups (packed) fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• 6 Tbsp shredded parmesan for serving

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and saute 4 minutes.
2. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
3. Pour in chicken broth and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cover soup with lid, bring soup to a light boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer until veggies are tender, about 12-15 minutes.
5. Add beans and spinach. Let heat just until spinach wilts, about 30 seconds.
6. Remove from heat. Mash up about half the beans with a potato masher (this helps make the brother creamier and heartier).
7. Drizzle individual servings of soup with remaining 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, and top with parmesan.

 

NOTES

• *If you don’t love garlic you can reduce this to 2-3 cloves, but then you may want to replace the garlic with more herbs.
• Wanting to amp up the flavor? You can finish the soup with some chopped fresh basil, parsley or oregano. Or try it with a spritz of fresh lemon.