This hearty bean vegetable soup is made with three varieties of beans for a nourishing, filling vegan dinner. So cozy for a chilly evening and meal prep/freezer friendly!
This cozy bean soup is another one of our earliest Crowded Kitchen blog posts, but it needed a major facelift! We've revamped the recipe a bit to make it quicker and easier, and we also took a few new photos for your viewing pleasure.
We're so happy we revisited this recipe. It's packed with plant-based protein from three different varieties of beans: cannellini, garbanzo and kidney beans.
With plenty of vegetables and a flavorful broth, it's a well balanced meal. We're pretty sure the whole family will go back for seconds!
We use dried beans in this recipe, which hold up much better in soup. They do take a bit more prep time, so we've also included instructions if you'd prefer to use canned.
How to prep dried beans
Unfortunately, dried beans need a quick soak before adding to the soup, otherwise they'll take ages to get tender.
It takes about an hour and a half to prep dried beans for this soup, but most of the time is completely hands off.
Rinse the dried beans well and check for any debris (rocks, dirt, etc.). Add to a large pot and cover with water. There should be about 3 inches of water above the beans. Add a large pinch of salt.
Bring the beans to a boil for 5 minutes. Then, remove from heat, cover and let soak for at least 1.5 hours. They can soak for up to 12 hours, so you can do this step in the morning if preferred.
Drain the beans well before adding to the soup.
Ingredients
- Dried beans: we used cannellini, kidney and garbanzo beans. You can also use navy or pinto beans. We love the different textures of each bean, but you can also just use one variety if preferred.
- Don't have any dried beans? Substitute with 2 15oz. cans of beans. Drain and rinse well before adding to the soup. If using canned beans, this soup will only need to simmer for 20-25 minutes before serving.
- Onion & garlic
- Carrots
- Celery
- Sweet potato: you can also use regular potatoes (I prefer Yukon gold), squash (butternut works well), parsnips, turnips or more carrot.
- Vegetable broth
- Fire roasted tomatoes
- Red wine vinegar
- Seasonings: bay leaves, Italian seasoning blend, salt and red pepper flakes
- Baby kale or spinach and fresh parsley: for freshness and a dose of leafy greens!
Instructions
Once the beans are soaked and prepped, this soup is s(o)uper quick and easy to make!
Sauté: Heat olive oil in a large pot. Sauté onion and garlic for 5-6 minutes, or until translucent and slightly softened, stirring frequently. Add carrots, celery and sweet potato. Continue cooking for 6-7 minutes.
Simmer: Add soaked beans, broth, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 40-45 minutes, until the beans are tender.
Serve: Stir in kale/spinach and parsley 5 minutes before serving.
Storage
Let soup cool at room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. You may need to add a bit of extra broth when reheating.
Freezer
Freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Let defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in a pot over medium-low, stirring often, until completely warmed. You may need to add a bit of extra broth or water when reheating.
Serving suggestions
We love topping this three-bean soup with croutons (homemade are always best!) or another crunchy element like crispy chickpeas. You also can't go wrong with some warm, crusty bread for dipping!
It's also delicious with a sprinkle (ok, handful) of vegan parmesan, red pepper flakes and fresh parsley.
Serve alongside a refreshing salad like this tahini caesar salad or this roasted beet kale salad.
You can also add in cooked pasta or even rice (brown, white or wild) for a full meal!
More vegan soup recipes you'll love:
- Wild Rice Mushroom Soup
- Roasted Red Pepper Carrot Soup
- Vegan Black Bean Soup
- Vegan Minestrone Soup
- Lentil Sweet Potato Curry Soup
- Quinoa Vegetable Soup
If you make this vegan three-bean vegetable soup, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.
Print📖 Recipe
Three-Bean Vegetable Soup
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 8
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This hearty bean vegetable soup is made with three varieties of beans for a nourishing, filling vegan dinner. So cozy for a chilly evening and meal prep/freezer friendly!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups dried beans (we used ½ cup each of cannellini, garbanzo and kidney beans)*
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced sweet potato
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 14 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 ½ tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning blend
- 1 ¼-1 ½ teaspoon fine grain kosher salt
- ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 cups baby spinach or kale
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Rinse dried beans well. In a large pot, cover beans with water (3 + inches above beans) and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let soak for 1.5 hours. Drain and rinse.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot. Sauté onion and garlic for 5-6 minutes, or until translucent and slightly softened, stirring frequently.
- Add carrots, celery and sweet potato. Continue cooking for 6-7 minutes.
- Add soaked beans, broth, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 40-45 minutes, until the beans are tender.
- Stir in kale/spinach and parsley 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
*Don't have any dried beans? Substitute with 2 15oz. cans of beans. Drain and rinse well before adding to the soup. If using canned beans, this soup will only need to simmer for 20-25 minutes before serving.
You can use just about any variety of bean, including navy, pinto, kidney, etc.
- Prep Time: 90 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Soups
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Bowl
- Calories: 142
- Sugar: 6.5 g
- Sodium: 1216.2 mg
- Fat: 3.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 6.8 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Hester says
While making this recipe I realized it was a variation on the classic Italian minestrone soup. 😄 I added a tbs of sweetener and two hands of shredded leftover white cabbage (for the double portion). Also, I saved the cooking water from the beans and used it to dilute the soup when it seemed too thick. Adds more flavor than pure water.
Jessica says
Awesome soup! I did everything as directed. Added some parm to the top with parsley salt and pepper to boost those flavors. My whole family loved it! I doubled the recipe to have leftovers. My toddlers devoured it the next day! I used canned beans for a lack of time. Still delicious, but I always aim for Trader Joe’s beans as they are usually a better and not all falling apart like some canned beans.
Rachel Hinnant says
How would this do in a crock pot?
Linda Wilson says
Omg, Lexi & Beth, this recipe is a winner, crowd-pleaser and keeper! It's so easy to make, yet so tasty! I'll be sharing it with a neighbor who recently lost her husband and with my family who will be nourished by it before we go on a road trip together this weekend to see my daughter! I couldn't thank you enough because you never know when you make a big pot how tasty it's going to turn out. This soup is scrumptuous!
Tiana says
Love it ! Thank you for the recipe <3 I used rice vinegar instead but it's still lovely
Lexi says
So glad you enjoyed!
kara forte says
This soup was absolutely delicious. I always triple the broth so it makes more soup and increase the veggie amounts to about 2 cups for most. I didn't have red wine vinegar so didn't use any but it still tasted great. Very healthy and satisfying and great for leftovers too.
Lexi says
Really glad you enjoyed!
Emily says
Hello, I have a question. Most beans come with instructions saying to cook for 1-1.5 hours after soaking. I know that your recipe uses the quick soak method, is that meant to speed up the cooking time as well? If so, does the fact that I soaked my beans overnight mean that if I follow your recipe they will be undercooked?
Thank you!
Lexi says
That shouldn't affect the cooking time!
Carmen Oliver says
This is a delicious and heart soup that my whole family enjoyed. I used canned beans and it still was very tasty. I will be making this throughout the winter.
Soup Lover says
Excellent recipe! I have made this recipe many times, and it gets rave reviews. I usually add chopped cabbage at the end and cook just until softened. Everyone seems to like the homey addition. I don't add salt to the soaking water, but instead use baking soda. It seems to soften the beans and eliminate some of the sugars that can cause gas. I add salt and pepper to taste toward the end of the cooking time. I also add about one half teaspoon chili powder, and thinly slice instead of mince the garlic. Thanks for publishing this recipe!
Lexi says
So glad you enjoyed! Thank you so much for your rating and review!
Elise says
Making this as a freezer meal for a friend who just gave birth! Should I still add the spinach and parsley to the soup before freezing, or should they be excluded?
Lexi says
Love to hear that! Either option is totally fine.
Anthony Serrao says
Can’t go wrong with this recipe. The only change I made was to supplement the vegetable broth with chicken broth and omitted the sweet potato. Absolutely delicious!
Kimberly Brown says
How many people does this recipe serve? I usually double recipes, but trying to figure out how to make this for 8 people
Lexi says
Hi Kimberly, this recipe serves 6-8.
Hilary says
This was delicious and so healthy. It warmed us up on a cold winter day . I did it in an instant pot doing saute for the onions and vegetables then pressure cooking for 10 minutes for the beans then saute again for the kale and parsley after the pot depressurized
Lexi says
Love to hear that! Glad to hear it worked well in the instant pot. Have a great day!
Abby says
The whole family loved this!
I added chopped leftover chicken for the kids and they asked for seconds
Don says
Finally, after almost a year, I found a place to use my 3 bean soup mix. The question is, can this be done in an instant pot?
Lexi says
Yes absolutely!