Cozy Creamy Tomato & Cannellini Bean Soup
There’s something deeply comforting about a bowl of Cozy Creamy Tomato & Cannellini Bean Soup – Vegan Comfort in a Bowl. This recipe delivers rich, velvety texture and savory depth without any dairy, a result of extensive testing to perfect the bean-based creaminess.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2+ hours (or 1/4 cup tahini for nut-free)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Fresh basil or parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté the Aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes until soft and translucent. Sautéing, which means cooking quickly in a small amount of fat, builds a flavorful foundation. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant, being careful not to let it burn.
- Build the Soup Base: Pour in the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth, stirring to combine. Add one can of the drained cannellini beans, dried oregano, thyme, and optional red pepper flakes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Prepare the Creamy Cashew Blend: While the soup simmers, drain the soaked cashews. In a high-speed blender, combine the cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and 3/4 cup of fresh water. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth and creamy. (Pro tip: Soaking the cashews for at least two hours, or using hot water for a quick soak, is essential for achieving a silky texture without graininess).
- Blend for Body and Creaminess: Carefully ladle about half of the simmering soup mixture (including beans and liquid) into the blender with the cashew cream. Securely place the lid on, holding a towel over it, and blend until smooth. This technique, unlike simply adding whole beans, fully emulsifies the starches to create a luxuriously thick base.
- Combine and Finish Cooking: Pour the blended mixture back into the pot with the remaining chunky soup. Add the second can of whole cannellini beans. Stir well and let the soup simmer for another 10 minutes over low heat, allowing the flavors to meld and the whole beans to heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or a squeeze of lemon juice as needed.
- Serve and Garnish: Ladle the hot soup into bowls. For optimal flavor, let it sit for 5 minutes off the heat before serving—this allows the consistency to perfect itself. Garnish with fresh herbs like basil or parsley, a drizzle of olive oil, and an extra crack of black pepper. In my tests, this Cozy Creamy Tomato & Cannellini Bean Soup tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop.