I love tomato soup so much but I’m never satisfied just eating a bowl of tomatoes, I want a little more umph. So I’ll often add a can of white beans. You can’t really taste them, it adds a nice creaminess without having to add heavy cream, and bonus, it adds a bit of protein to make it more filling!
I love the addition of pesto as a topping but you can also just add fresh basil, and serve with toast or a grilled cheese for the perfect cozy meal.
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour (15 min prep, 45 min baking)
SERVES: 4 as a side, 2 as a meal
Grocery List + Printable version
Tools required🍴
Chef’s knife
Cutting board (not my exact one but very similar)
Sheet pan
Blender
Sauce pan
Ingredients:
For the roasted tomatoes
2 lbs tomatoes (I used a blend of heirloom, cherry and roma, use whatever you have on hand)
1 head garlic
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
For the rest
1 large can cannellini beans
4 cups veggie broth
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
Pesto or basil to serve
Toast or grilled cheese to serve
Instructions:
Roast your tomatoes. Preheat oven to 450F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Slice tomatoes in half and toss in oil and salt (I toss it right on the sheet tray). Lay cut side down on sheet pan. Slice the top off a head of garlic and drizzle with oil, placing cut side down on sheet pan. Bake for 30-45 minutes until golden on top.
Blend. Let tomatoes slightly cool, then add to a high-speed blender with drained and rinsed beans, 4 cups of broth and 1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional - it’s not spicy but adds a nice layer of flavor). Squeeze garlic out of it’s skin and into blender as well. Blend on high for at least 2 minutes until smooth.
Warm. Add soup to a saucepan to heat over medium-high heat. Once warmed, add 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Serve topped with pesto or fresh basil, olive oil, fresh pepper and serve with toast or grilled cheese.
Notes:
Other toppings: try chili crisp, cheese, any other herbs, croutons, pretzels, tortillas, crispy onions, bacon, or pretty much anything that is small crunchy and salty.
Riff: drop an egg in while you’re heating to poach: once soup is hot, crack a whole egg in and cook for 4-6 minutes, just like you would poach. Remove from heat and serve immediately. You can also add in some cooked pasta like tortellini or some greens, like kale to make this even heartier. To add in greens or other veggies, sautee until slightly softened with a bit of oil in the pot before adding in the soup to reheat.
Make ahead: this is great to make in advance and can sit in the fridge for up to 4 days. This freezes great, just make sure to label your container so you don’t mix it up with any old tomato sauce.
Make it vegetarian: ✅
Make it gluten free: ✅ (just be sure your broth is GF)
Make it dairy free: ✅ (check your pesto)
I don’t have a high-speed blender: no problem as long as you’re ok with a little texture then you’re fine with a normal blender or food processor. If you don’t want any texture, I recommend removing the skins, so use larger tomatoes to make your life easier.
Substitutions:
Tomatoes: kinda the main character but you can sub in half red pepper for a bell pepper/tomato soup!
Garlic: if you don’t like roasted garlic, drop in some largely diced shallots for roasting instead.
Beans: if you are going to sub a different bean, I recommend sticking with a white variety. If you don’t want any beans but still want some added protein, sub in silken tofu. And if you want to skip completely you totally can!
Balsamic: this adds a really nice depth to the dish but if you don’t have any, sub in a splash (like 1/2 tsp) of red wine or apple cider vinegar to start, taste and adjust.
Anything else? Drop a comment below if you have any questions, and don’t forget to let me know if you make it!
Fantastic soup to add to my repertoire! My hubby is kinda fussy and he really enjoyed it as well. I look here before the google or anywhere online when trying to get Dinner, sorted! 😘
Beautiful!! Thanks for sharing!!