Nourishing Vegetable and Bean Soup

This nourishing bean soup is full of vegetables and considered by many to be the national soup of Greece (known as Fasolatha). While dried beans are commonly used in this traditional soup, substituting canned beans will save you time. Enjoy this soup in 30 minutes or less!

The next day leftovers are even better as the flavors have a chance to blend.

What Makes This Soup Nourishing?

Vegetable and bean soup is a classic vegetarian dish that is dairy and egg free. You can also make it completely vegan by using vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.

The various ingredients that go into this soup add essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. The canned beans alone provide a total of 45 grams of plant-based protein in this soup. With about 8 grams of protein per serving. Carrots, celery, spinach and sweet potato add a healthy dose of antioxidants, Vitamin C, fiber, calcium, Vitamin B6, magnesium and more.

Your body will soak up this nutrient dense dish, ridding itself of toxins, and improving gut health.

Purchasing organic produce helps reduce the toxic load on your liver even more. When you’re able, buy organic produce as much as possible.

What Is In Vegetable and Bean Soup?

At our house, we include this soup in our weekly dinner rotation during the colder months. This vegetarian soup is full of nutrients and packed with plant-based protein and fiber. It will leave you feeling full.

Although very similar to traditional Greek vegetable and bean soup (or Fasolatha), we include a few additions.

• Canned Beans– Traditional Greek soup is made with dried beans. For convenience and to reduce cooking time, use canned beans. Use a combination of Northern, kidney, and cannellini beans.

• Carrots- Add four chopped carrots or about 1 cup.
• Celery– Use three stalks of celery chopped small.
• Onion– You’ll need 1/2 cup of onion (yellow), about 1/2 of an onion chopped.

• Tomato Sauce– Add a 15-ounce can of tomato sauce.
• Chicken Broth (or Vegetable Broth)– Not traditionally used in this Greek soup but adding it provides enough liquid to cook the additional vegetables. Plus, it adds more flavor. You can substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth.

• Garlic Cloves– Use freshly minced garlic cloves for anti-inflammatory benefits.
• Parsley– You can add either fresh or dried parsley. You’ll need 1/4 cup fresh or 4 teaspoons dried.
• Oregano– Nothing says Greek like oregano. Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons dried.
• Spinach- You’ll add 10 ounces of frozen spinach or a 16-ounce container of fresh spinach.
• Sweet Potato– Not traditionally found in this Greek soup but we found it adds more flavor and of course more nutrients. You’ll use one large sweet potato cut into 1/2-1 inch cubes.

• Bay Leaf– Add one bay leaf for additional flavor.
• Olive Oil– Another Greek staple and a must for this soup. Used to sauté the carrots, celery, and onions at the beginning.
• Salt and Pepper– Use 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Add more to taste.

How To Make Vegetable and Bean Soup

Once you have all of the ingredients ready and prepped it’s time to get to cooking. You can easily throw this soup together in 30 minutes or less.

STEP ONE: SAUTE VEGGIES

With your onion, celery, and carrots washed and chopped, sauté them in a large pot set on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add a pinch of sea salt. Then add minced garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.

STEP TWO: ADD BEANS, LIQUIDS, POTATO, AND SPICES

Next, add your spices (including bay leaf) and tomato sauce and cook for about a minute to incorporate. Then add the beans chicken or vegetable broth, and chopped sweet potato. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

STEP THREE: ADD SPINACH

Finally, add the frozen or fresh spinach. Cook for another 10-15 minutes until the spinach is cooked and the potatoes are tender. Remove from heat and serve.

Optional: You can puree this soup for a different presentation and texture.

How to Store Vegetable and Bean Soup

This vegetable and bean soup freezes beautifully. Once cooked, simply cool to room temperature and either place in a glass container or reusable bag and place in the freezer. The soup will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also store in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

Looking For Other Healthy Soup Ideas?

Check out these additional soup dishes.

• Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Quick, Healthy Minestrone Soup
• Green Curry Thai Soup (With Noodles)
• Creamy Asparagus Soup (Dairy-Free)