When the season isn’t right for a fresh tomato and basil soup, this quick and easy recipe will still deliver you big bright flavors using pantry staples!
This is the kind of cozy soup that warms you up and fills you up, thanks to the addition of lots of white beans to the creamy tomato base. Pesto gives it a hit of fast flavor and richness, so it doesn’t need to simmer for hours to taste amazing. Add some bread and salad, and this soup can hold its own as a complete dinner option.
This is super tasty exactly as written, but don’t hesitate to bulk it up with anything you wish to add: more veggies, a handful of greens, extra spices and olives are all great options!
What You Need to Know About Your Ingredients
This is very much a flexible, inexact kind of recipe, so there aren’t too many rules.
- The onion is the only vegetable that I think is essential in this recipe (for flavor’s sake) but you can use red, white or brown onion. I add carrots too, and if there is celery available it wouldn’t hurt to add a stalk. Mushrooms and zucchini could find a home here too if you wish to bulk out the veggie component.
- Jarred green basil pesto is what I use for this recipe. While I love homemade pesto with my pasta, the delicate fresh basil flavor can be lost through overheating. Jarred pesto is heat treated so the flavor holds up fine when you use it as a cooking ingredient. If you’re using fresh pesto here, only add it at the very end. And you may need more than the recipe states, because it tends to be chunkier and a less concentrated flavor, so taste as you go.
- If you want to try this with red sundried tomato pesto, go for it! I have no doubt this will work out well too.
- Any white beans will be fine here, I’ve used cannellini beans but navy or butter beans would also be great.
- I use double (heavy) cream but a single cream or half and half would be OK if you’d like a lighter soup. You could also use a dollop of mascarpone or some creme fraiche if that is what’s available. Side note: if you love the idea of mascarpone in soup, I have a Tomato Mascarpone Soup recipe which is glorious and also uses canned tomatoes.
- I recommend an Italian hard cheese here, such as parmesan or pecorino. Just watch out for animal rennet in these cheeses if you are vegetarian. In the UK, generic Italian hard cheeses tend to be made without rennet, and in the US, domestic parmesans tend to be too.
How to Use Up Your Jar of Pesto
I love using jarred pesto as a shortcut to good flavor in more varied dishes. Check out these one pan dishes which pack it in alongside lots of veggies, beans and cheese to make some seriously delicious and flexible dinners! (Or if you only have a tiny bit left, try my Simple Creamy Pesto Salad Dressing.)
Easy Sides to Serve with This Soup
Tomato, Pesto & White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tsp mixed Italian herbs
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 28 oz (800 g) canned diced or chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp sugar
- 2.5 cups (590 ml) vegetable stock
- 28 oz (800 g) canned white beans, drained
- 3 tbsp jarred green pesto
- ½ cup (50 g) parmesan, pecorino or Italian hard cheese
- â…“ cup (80 ml) double (heavy) cream
Instructions
- Heat a few spoonfuls of olive oil in your soup pot over a low-medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute until soft.1 large onion, 1 carrot
- Add the garlic and saute until the fragrance hits the air, and then add the herbs and mix through.5 cloves garlic, 2 tsp mixed Italian herbs
- Add the tomato paste and stir through. You may want a little extra oil now if the pan is feeling dry. Saute for a minute or two just to deepen the flavor of the tomato paste. If it gets too sticky in your pan, throw in a splash of water or wine and move on quickly to the next step.2 Tbsp tomato paste
- Add the canned tomatoes, red wine vinegar and sugar. Mix through and simmer until bubbling.28 oz canned diced or chopped tomatoes, 1 tsp red wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp sugar
- Add the vegetable stock and white beans. Turn up the heat and cook until it is starting to bubble. Then turn back down to low and allow the soup to simmer, covered, for at least 10 minutes (but longer is always better if you have more time!)2.5 cups vegetable stock, 28 oz canned white beans
- When you're reading to serve the soup, stir in the pesto, cheese and cream. Keep it on the heat just until the cheese is melted and the soup is a creamy texture. Remove from the heat and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.3 tbsp jarred green pesto, 1/2 cup parmesan, pecorino or Italian hard cheese, 1/3 cup double (heavy) cream
