White Bean Tomato Soup 5
Entertaining

Easy, Clean, Healthy Recipe: Hearty Italian White Bean and Basil Soup

Be honest — you’re feeling the effects of all those holiday food comas right now, aren’t you? We sure are — which is why clean and healthy eating sits at the top of our New Year’s resolution list for 2015.

But cooking and eating healthy isn’t always as easy as we’d like — or so we thought, until we came across the incredibly simple 8-ingredient recipes by Brandi Doming at The Vegan 8.

White Bean Tomato Soup 4

Each recipe uses only 8 ingredients (with the exception of water and salt) that can be found in any grocery store. They’re easy, hearty, and delicious. This white bean tomato basil soup looks like just the right way to ease us off our holiday sugar rush — it’s filling, and takes minimal prep and cook time. Plus, we love how Brandi served it in our Vintage Wood Bowls with our Paros Chargers, Belgian Linen Hemstitch Napkins and Great White Dinnerware. It looks gorgeous!

White Bean Tomato Soup 2

Hearty Italian White Bean and Basil Soup
4-5 servings

“This soup is full of Italian herbs and fresh basil and is super hearty thanks to protein-rich white beans and filling brown rice,” Brandi says. “This soup is extremely healthy and low-fat, yet it is so filling thanks to the protein and carb content. No need to sacrifice flavor to eat healthy. This will have your house smelling absolutely amazing too!”

White Bean Tomato Soup 5

Ingredients

Rice:
1 cup low sodium vegetable broth (240 mL)
1/2 cup dry long grain brown rice (72 g)
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Soup:
6 cups low sodium vegetable broth (1440 mL)
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (160 g, you will need 1 cup)
4 large garlic cloves, minced (you will need a heaping tablespoon)
2 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt and pepper (I added 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper)
2 15 oz cans white beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

Note: Brandi used an Italian spice blend that you can find at any grocery store — a combo of basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, savory, fennel, sage and marjoram. Some versions have red pepper, so  would avoid those as it could make the soup really spicy.

White Bean Tomato Soup 3

Instructions:
In a medium pot, prepare the rice first by bringing 1 cup broth to a boil and then add the rice, salt and stir and immediately turn to the lowest heat setting and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes or until all the broth is evaporated. Return the lid and let it sit covered 10 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, chop your vegetables. Add the 6 cups broth to a large pot with only the onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and chili powder. Stir well and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to medium-high and cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Now add the tomatoes, cover and cook on medium-low for another 10 minutes.

Lastly, add the drained beans, fresh basil and cooked rice. Stir well and bring back to a boil. Once boiling, let it cook on high for 5-10 more mins until heated through. Taste and add any additional spices if necessary, I didn’t add anymore. Serve immediately and garnish with more fresh basil, if desired.

White Bean Tomato Soup 1

Get a recipe print out for this yummy white bean and tomato soup plus more of Brandi’s delicious cooking tips on her blog, The Vegan 8.

I love how the rustic and simple approach of the recipe matches the table setting. Just perfection! We’ll entertain tomorrow night with a soup and open sandwiches. This soup will be perfect, plus white beans are one of my favorites!

In the instructions you mention to add chili powder but there is no mention of in the the ingredients. How much do you add?
Thanks

I clicked on the link to The Vegan 8 blog and the printable recipe there says this:

“Optional: I love a little heat to everything, so I added a heaping tsp chili powder, or chili flakes would work too)”

Just think how delicious it would be using 7 cups of home-made chicken broth rather than vegetable broth… We store our old chicken bones in the freezer in the “Bone Bag” and make stock that way. It is so much better than canned or boxed broth, even if you buy the expensive kind.

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