This hearty cream of spinach soup happens to be high protein & vegan, kudos to the white beans! The best part is, everything is ready under 30 mins.
Do not be fool by the name ! Yes, spinach is the star ingredient in this soup but no, you cant really taste it. I really love this dish as it is a really great way to pack in the greens in an enjoyable way.
They are the perfect fall / winter meal to have. Super creamy and comforting, they are one of my favorite meals to have on a chilly afternoon !
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🍅 What you will need
- You can use frozen spinach is place of the fresh ones. Just let it thaw beforehand.
- Any kinds of white beans work well here. Navy beans, cannellini beans and kidney beans are some of my favorites.
- Similarly, both canned beans or beans cooked from scratch can be used.
🔪 How to make
Start by sauteing the onion in some some oil of choice. ( I am using olive oil here. ) Alternatively, you can make this oil-free by using water / vegetable broth in place of oil. When the onions are nicely caramelized and golden, add in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant.
Then, add in the water / vegetable broth along with the white beans and bay leaves. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat down to a gentle simmer. Place the lid on and let it cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring every once in a while.
Stir in the spinach and cook until they are wilted down. Then, you can blend it up using an immersion blender or normal blender.
Other tips and variations
- You can use vegetable stock instead of water, or a mix of both to make this soup more flavorful.
- Feel free to add in your favorite herbs to spice things up ! Both dry or fresh ones works well.
- To make this oil-free, use some water or broth instead of oil to saute your onion and garlic.
- Add in a squeeze of lemon juice to bring some zing to this soup ! Plus, the vitamin c in it also helps enhance the absorption of iron in the spinach.
- You can adjust the amount of water depending on how thick / thin you would like the soup to be.
🍽 How to serve
This is super satisfying and filling on its own, but I really like pairing them with other things to make a complete meal out of it.
- Toasted bread / breadsticks
- Side salad ( like this crunchy Thai quinoa salad or tomato cucumber salsa quinoa salad )
- Roasted potatoes
- Croutons, crackers or rice cakes
- Crispy roasted chickpeas
❔ Commonly asked Q&A
It can last for 3-4 days in a sealed container.
Yes. To freeze it, pre portion the soup using containers or zip lock bags. They can then be stored in the freezer or up to 3 months. Remember to label the name and date o save yourself a round of guessing games in the future !
To reheat, simply let it thaw in the fridge overnight or in the microwave with you are short on time. Then, you can either reheat it in the microwave or on stovetop. Add some water and/or additional seasonings, if needed.
Yes, but do let them thaw before using.
🍜 More healthy vegan dinners
- Instant Pot Coconut Masoor Dal Tadka
- Easy Vegan Rice and Black Beans
- Vegan Peanut Noodles with Crispy Tofu
📖 Recipe
Vegan Cream of Spinach Soup with White Beans
Ingredients
- 1 small red onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 15 oz can white beans drained and rinsed
- 7 oz / 200g fresh spinach
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ½ cups water / vegetable stock
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat up 1 tbsp of oil in a soup pot / Dutch oven . Add in the onions and saute until browned and lightly caramelized, about 4-5 minutes.
- Toss in the garlic and cook it for another 30 seconds, or until garlic is fragrant.
- Add in the beans, vegetable stock / water and bay leaves into the pot. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for 15-20 minutes, covered.
- Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted. Then, blend the soup until smooth using an immersion blender. Alternatively, you can use a blender instead by transferring the mixture to a blender.
- Serve it with some toasted bread and enjoy !
Notes
- Fresh spinach can be substituted with frozen ones. Weigh out 4 oz of frozen spinach and let it thaw before using it.
- Any kinds of white beans works well. Some of my favorite includes navy, cannellini and kidney beans.
- Soup can be stored in the fridge for 3 days, and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Calories are calculated for 4 servings.
- To make this oil-free, use ¼ cup of water / vegetable stock instead to saute the onion and garlic.
Join the discussion !