This Roasted Tomato and White Bean Soup is warm, comforting and full of flavour, but still wonderfully simple to make.
Fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, carrots, potato and broccoli are roasted with olive oil and herbs until soft and caramelised, then blended with vegetable stock before white beans, peas and baby spinach are added at the end.
The roasting does most of the hard work.
Instead of standing over the stove building flavour one ingredient at a time, the oven brings out the natural sweetness of the tomatoes and vegetables while the edges begin to caramelise.
Then all you need to do is blend, add the beans and greens and let everything simmer together for a few minutes.
And there is a little story behind this recipe that still makes me laugh.
When I photographed this soup in 2023, I realised at the last minute that I had no bread in the house for the shoot.
What I did have was a croissant.
So I sliced it, toasted it and served it with the soup.
It looked beautiful in the photographs and, even better, it tasted really good too.
Sometimes the best food styling ideas happen because you have absolutely no other option.
You can absolutely make tomato soup on the stove, but roasting the tomatoes first gives the soup a different depth of flavour.
The heat concentrates their natural sweetness while the edges begin to caramelise.
The onion and garlic roast alongside them and become softer, sweeter and more mellow.
By the time everything goes into the pot, most of the flavour-building has already happened.
That is what makes this soup so easy.
The original version of this recipe was created using a frozen stew vegetable mix containing carrots, broccoli stems, potatoes and green peas.
For this updated version, I use fresh vegetables as the main option.
A small carrot, a small potato and some diced broccoli stems work beautifully here, with peas added later.
Broccoli stems are especially good in soup.
They have a mild flavour and soften beautifully when roasted, so there is no need to throw them away.
Just peel away any very tough outer skin and dice the tender centre.
Absolutely.
If you have a frozen vegetable mix containing carrots, peas, potatoes and broccoli, use approximately 250 to 300 g in place of the fresh vegetables.
Add the frozen vegetables directly to the roasting tray.
You may need to roast them for a little longer because frozen vegetables release more moisture as they cook.
Spread everything out well so the vegetables roast rather than steam.
Use ripe, flavourful tomatoes for the best result.
Roma or plum tomatoes work particularly well because they are fleshy and roast beautifully, but any ripe tomatoes will do.
If your tomatoes are very large, cut them into quarters or smaller pieces so they cook evenly.
This recipe uses quite a generous amount of tomato because I still want tomato to be the main flavour of the soup.
The white beans turn this from a simple tomato soup into something much more satisfying.
They add protein, fibre and a lovely creamy texture without needing lots of extra dairy.
I prefer leaving the beans whole rather than blending them into the soup.
You get the smooth roasted tomato base with those creamy little bites of bean throughout.
Cannellini beans, butter beans or another mild white bean all work well.
That is completely up to you.
Start with about one cup of vegetable stock if you like a thicker soup.
After blending, add more stock little by little until it reaches the consistency you prefer.
I would always rather start thick and loosen the soup than add too much stock at the beginning and end up with something watery.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Add the chopped tomatoes, onion, carrot, potato, broccoli stems and roughly chopped garlic to a large roasting tray.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over the mixed herbs, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Toss everything together so the vegetables are well coated.
Roast for approximately 30 to 35 minutes, or until the tomatoes have softened, the vegetables are tender and you have some lovely caramelised edges.
Give everything a stir halfway through if necessary.
Carefully transfer the roasted vegetables and all their juices to a large pot.
Add one cup of vegetable stock and bring to a gentle simmer.
Cook for about 5 minutes.
Use a stick blender to blend the soup to your preferred consistency.
You can make it completely smooth or leave a little texture.
Add more vegetable stock if needed until the soup is as thick or loose as you like.
Add the drained white beans, green peas and baby spinach.
Simmer gently for approximately 5 minutes until the beans are heated through, the peas are tender and the spinach has wilted.
Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Finish with plenty of freshly chopped parsley and serve hot.
You certainly can blend some of the white beans if you want an even thicker soup, but I prefer adding them after blending.
That way you still get a smooth soup base with whole creamy beans throughout.
It makes the soup feel more substantial and gives you a little contrast in texture.
Yes.
Frozen spinach works perfectly well here.
Use a smaller quantity than you would fresh spinach and add it towards the end of cooking.
If it contains a lot of excess moisture, thaw and drain it first so you do not unnecessarily dilute the soup.
Yes.
The soup itself is already dairy-free as long as your vegetable stock is suitable.
Simply serve it with bread or another dairy-free accompaniment.
And if you are keeping the whole meal vegan, choose a dairy-free bread rather than a buttery croissant. 😂
When I photographed this soup, I had planned to serve it with bread.
Then I realised there was no bread in the house.
What I did have was a croissant.
So I sliced it, toasted it and used that instead.
It was one of those happy little kitchen accidents that worked beautifully.
The buttery, flaky croissant became crisp at the edges and paired so well with the warm roasted tomato soup.
It looked beautiful in the photographs and tasted just as good.
If you have never tried toasted croissant with tomato soup before, this is definitely one to remember.
This soup is lovely with anything you can use for dipping.
Try:
The croissant adds a rich, buttery bite that works particularly well with the sweetness of the roasted tomatoes and the creamy white beans.
Add chilli flakes to the roasting tray if you want a little heat.
Add a second can of white beans if you want an even more substantial meal.
Stir in a small splash of cream after blending if you prefer a richer tomato soup.
A little finely grated Parmesan over the finished soup works beautifully if you are not keeping it dairy-free.
Fresh basil can be used instead of parsley for a more classic tomato soup flavour.
Yes.
This soup reheats very well.
Prepare it ahead, allow it to cool and store it covered in the refrigerator.
Reheat gently on the stove, adding a small splash of vegetable stock or water if it has thickened more than you would like.
There is something about roasted tomato soup that always feels comforting.
Maybe it is the sweetness of the tomatoes or the smell of garlic and herbs roasting in the oven.
Adding white beans, spinach and a few extra vegetables turns it into a proper light meal rather than simply a bowl of tomato soup.
And that toasted croissant?
That may have started as a last-minute solution for a photo shoot, but it turned out to be one of the best parts.
Sometimes the most beautiful serving ideas happen completely by accident.
A comforting roasted tomato and white bean soup made with fresh vegetables, garlic, herbs, creamy white beans and baby spinach. Easy, nourishing and perfect with toasted bread.
FROZEN VEGETABLE SHORTCUT:
Replace the carrot, potato, broccoli stems and peas with approximately 250-300 g frozen mixed stew vegetables containing similar vegetables. Roast directly from frozen and allow a little extra cooking time if necessary.
TOMATOES:
Use ripe, flavourful tomatoes for the best result. Roma or plum tomatoes work particularly well.
WHITE BEANS:
Cannellini beans, butter beans or another mild white bean can be used.
SOUP CONSISTENCY:
Start with 1 cup vegetable stock and add more after blending if required.
SPINACH:
Frozen spinach can also be used. Thaw and drain excess moisture if necessary.
VEGAN:
The soup is naturally vegan if you use a vegan vegetable stock and serve it with a dairy-free accompaniment.
MAKE IT CREAMY:
Add a small splash of cream after blending if you prefer a richer soup.
SERVING IDEA:
Serve with crusty bread, toast, grilled cheese or sliced toasted croissant.
