Last updated on June 11th, 2025
This Easy Vegetable Soup with Beans is a one-pot wonder and perfect for busy weeknights or lazy Sundays. It’s a budget-friendly, pantry-based recipe that transforms simple ingredients into a bowl of warmth and goodness. It’s also vegan-friendly!
There’s something incredibly comforting about a hearty bowl of veg soup—especially when it’s packed with beans, vibrant vegetables, aromatic spices, and nourishing greens. I could easily eat soup every night of the week and I have an extensive collection of soups I could work through. The rest of my family may not feel as strongly about soup 7 nights a week – there may be mutiny if I made my soup dreams their reality!!
If you love my Easy Lentil Soup recipe, you’re going to adore this bean soup just as much. The two are very similar, but this version swaps out lentils for hearty beans, adding a lovely creaminess to the soup. The recipe has a long list of ingredients which initially may seem quite daunting until you realize it’s mainly pantry staples and the actual prep time for soup is 10-15 minutes max!
Should I use Tinned Beans or Cooked Beans?
One of the great things about this Easy Bean Soup is its versatility—you can use either tinned beans or cooked beans based on what you have available. Tinned beans are a lifesaver when you’re short on time -they’re fully cooked and ready to go. Simply drain and rinse them before adding them to the soup.
If you prefer the from-scratch approach, dried beans are a fantastic option, it just takes a bit more time and pre-planning. I soak my beans in warm water for a few hours before cooking them, just to soften them up a little. You can even do this the night before. Cook them well ahead of time and store them in the fridge until you are ready to use them. As a guideline, ½ cup of raw (dry) beans yields about 1 ½ cups of cooked beans—the same as a standard tin.
What to Serve alongside a Hearty Veg Soup with Beans?
It really doesn’t need anything else as it’s a full meal already BUT soup isn’t soup with out a little bread to dip into it, right? So, this is a list of nice-to-have sides:
- Crusty sourdough or a slice of ciabatta for the perfect finish.
- A swirl of basil pesto just before serving—pesto and beans are a match made in heaven!
- A side of green salad with a light vinaigrette for some extra crunch and freshness.
Try These Variations for Your Veg & Bean Soup
- Creamy Finish: For a creamier texture, blend a portion of the soup and stir it back in.
- Spicy Kick: For an extra bit of spice, add a pinch of red chili flakes or a chopped fresh chili when cooking the garlic.
- Protein Boost: Just after adding the stock, toss in a handful of quinoa or barley to make it even heartier.
- Mix Up the Beans: Swap out the white beans for cooked chickpeas, butter beans, or a mixed bean medley—whatever you have in the pantry!
Ingredient Summary
- Oils and Aromatics: Olive oil, Onion, Garlic, Celery
- Spices & Seasoning: Cumin, Curry powder, Thyme, Paprika, Salt, Black pepper
- Liquids: Passata, Water, Vegetable stock, Lemon juice
- Vegetables & Beans: Tomatoes (canned or fresh) , Carrots, White beans (or a mix of your choice), Spinach or kale leaves
Hearty Veg Soup with Beans
Prep Time: 10 minutes- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 60 minutes
Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- ½ tablespoon cumin
- ½ tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon dried Thyme
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup Passata
- 1 cup water
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tin of canned tomatoes or 1 ¼ cup finely chopped fresh tomatoes
- 1 tin (1 ½ cups) white beans or a mix of your choice, drained
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 cup chopped spinach or kale leaves
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened and lightly caramelized.
- Stir in the celery and garlic, cooking for another 2–3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the carrots, cumin, curry powder, thyme, paprika, and salt. If the mixture looks dry, add a dash more olive oil. Cook for 2–3 minutes to let the spices meld and the vegetables soften slightly.
- Pour in the Passata, water, vegetable stock, tomatoes, and the drained beans. Season with a few good twists of freshly cracked black pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for 40–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced by about a third.
- Stir in the lemon juice and chopped spinach or kale. Cook for another 2–3 minutes until the greens are wilted and tender.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty sourdough or ciabatta bread. Enjoy!
This soup has gone onto my husbands favourite soups list. I also loved it and especially as it takes no time at all. I added a pinch of Chilli flakes and a leek as an extra veg but wow it makes the most filling warming winter soup but is a meal in itself, some homemade bread and we were in our 7th heaven.
Just love your recipes. I gave it 5 stars
Patricia
Hi Patricia, thank-you for your feedback! I just LOVE reading messages like this! I am so happy to hear you loved it and also put your own spin on it with the chilli and extra veg, well done. Soup and bread is my best meal ever! Take care XX