This hearty and healthy three bean soup is easy to make and packed with protein. Perfect for a blistery day!
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There’s nothing better than a vegan soup recipe when you need something quick, warming and filling on a chilly weekday evening.
This recipe is very flexible; you can use your favorite bean and add your favorite vegetables. You can even change up the spices and seasonings.
Made from mostly shelf-stable ingredients, this soup is a great vegan pantry recipe. You might already have everything you need to make this right now!
Any way you make it, this three bean soup is like comfort in a bowl!
Ingredients
The ingredients for three bean soup are mostly pantry staples and very cheap. When people say that being vegan is expensive, it’s because they don’t realize that dishes like this is what we eat!
Beans: For three bean soup, you’ll need three different types of beans, duh. It doesn’t really matter which beans you use, use your favorite bean! I used red kidney beans, navy beans and cannellini beans. For convenience, I use canned beans since different types of dry beans have different cooking times.
Aromatics: Every good vegan soup starts with a flavor base of finely diced onion and garlic.
Veggies: To balance out the beans I added some extra veggies. Carrot and celery add not only great flavor but also some textural contrast to the soft beans.
Tomato: I like tomato-based soups so this recipe calls for a can of diced tomatoes. You could substitute crushed tomatoes or chop up a can of whole tomatoes.
Seasonings: I add smoked paprika for a smoky element, and Italian seasoning for a mix of herbs. Also, one or two bay leaves adds nice flavor to the soup base.
Stock: A good-quality vegetable stock - store-bought or homemade - is necessary. Depending on how salty your vegetable broth is, add salt to you soup to taste.
Oil: A couple tablespoons of olive oil is used for frying the aromatics. If you are an oil-free plant-based dieter, you can use water or vegetable stock.
How to make three bean soup
This recipe is easy to make with a bit of chopping, can opening and just one pot.
Prep: Start by prepping your ingredients for this three bean soup.
Finely dice half a large onion and mince two cloves of garlic.
Peel and chop two carrots and two stalks of celery. You can make these veggies as chunky as you want.
Personally, I like my veggies chopped quite small so that they blend into the soup and also so that the soup cooks faster.
Open your cans of beans and drain them into a colander over the sink. Rinse them with cool water to remove the packaging liquid. Set aside to continue draining off the excess water.
Fry: In a medium-large pot over medium heat, add the oil and allow it to heat up.
If you’ve cut your vegetables quite small, you can fry the onion, carrot and celery together at the same time like a sort of mirepoix.
If your carrot and celery are more on the chunky side, start by frying the onion first until transparent, then add the carrot and celery.
The vegetables don’t need to be fried until completely soft, since they will continue simmering in the soup.
I cook them until they are almost tender all the way though but a bit of firmness in the middle is okay.
Once the veggies are fried to your liking, add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds or so until the garlic is soft.
Season: Add your seasonings: paprika, Italian seasonings or herbs of choice, and laurel.
Cook the seasonings, stirring constantly, to bring out the flavors - about 30 seconds.
Combine: Now pour in the drained beans, can of diced tomatoes, vegetable stock and salt.
Simmer: You can raise the heat to high to bring the soup to a boil, then lower it back to medium or medium-low to keep the pot at a gentle simmer.
Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to finish cooking the vegetables allow the beans to heat through.
Then it’s ready to serve!
Substitutions and variations
Seasonings: If you don’t have Italian seasoning, use your favorite herb! Pretty much any dried herb goes great in bean soup. You can also use different spices; cumin is a popular addition to bean soup and I have also made this soup with caraway. Fennel is another good option if you like it. Add red chili flakes for a touch of spice.
Beans: Substitute pretty much any bean: pinto beans, great northern beans, butter beans, chickpeas or black beans will work. Even fresh or canned green beans could be used in a three bean soup.
Tomatoes: I use diced tomato but you can substitute a can of crushed tomato or chop up a can of whole tomatoes.
Vegetables: As a veggie soup, this recipe lends itself well to a variety of different vegetables: add a few handfuls of spinach or kale, chop up some broccoli, add a cup of corn, etc.
FAQs
Yes, you can make three bean soup with dried beans. You would need to soak and pre-cook the beans before adding them to your soup. Different beans have different cooking times so you may need to cook them separately. Canned beans are more convenient but a bit more expensive than cooking your beans from dry.
Yes, it is extremely healthy to eat bean soup everyday. Many studies have found that people who live the longest, have the highest intake of legumes (beans and lentils) in their diets.
Yes, bean soup can be frozen in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Make ahead and storage tips
This hearty soup keeps well in the fridge for several days, making it a great recipe to add to your meal prep.
Transfer leftover soup to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
To freeze, allow the soup to cool in the fridge in an airtight and freezer-safe container, then transfer it to the freezer for up to 3 months.
Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in the microwave or in a pot on the stove.
What to serve with three bean soup
A good-quality crusty bread for dipping and scooping up the beans is a must!
Garnish your soup with some fresh chopped parsley, some crusty croutons, and/or and your favorite vegan Parmesan cheese.
A great side dish for this soup is any kind of salad and a vegan grilled cheese sandwich.
Three bean soup
Ingredients
- 3 (14 oz / 400 grams) cans (about 4.5 cups total) of beans, I used red kidney, navy and cannellini beans
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ large onion, finely diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and small diced
- 2 sticks of celery, small diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 can (14 oz / 400 grams) diced tomatoes
- 4 cups (1 liter) vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the canned beans.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium-large pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until the onion is soft and transparent and the carrot and celery mostly tender - about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic is soft - about 30 seconds.
- Add the paprika, Italian seasoning and bay leaves and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds to bring out the flavors.
- Add the drained beans, can of diced tomatoes, vegetable stock and salt.
- Raise the heat to bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook until the vegetable are softened and the beans are heated through - about 10 minutes.
Gina Gentile says
Absolutely love this recipe!
It’s snowing today & making it again!!
I added a little ditalini I kept on the side 💕