I am already looking to boost my fall-inspired chef repertoire before summer officially ends because we live for soups and crock-pot recipes for a good half of the year.
Bolstering my list for my clients and my family ensures we all have hearty, plant-based, protein-packed, and freezer-friendly options on hand that take less than an hour.
I don’t know what’s going on in your household when the back-to-school season hits, but our family is filling up the calendar faster than a kid can say, “What’s for dinner?”
Which is going to be any minute now.
Why Vegan?
About two years ago, I made the drastic decision to be completely vegan for six months.
After doing a deep dive into health benefits, environmental praises, and humane treatment for our animal friends, I had plenty of reasons for why I should make this big change.
After the entire experiment was over, I can confidently say my energy skyrocketed. I slept like a rock, I could perform physically better than I ever had prior (I ran my first marathon), and my skin was absolutely glowing.
The biggest tension was the resistance from my family, the time it took to find and cook “strictly” without including processed foods, and the lack of options when eating out or in other people’s homes.
It was a bit of a challenge, to say the least. Getting my family on board with all of the changes in the kitchen was the biggest part.
Eventually, I let go of my perfectionism and decided I would focus on getting more veggies, less meat and return again and again to recipes that my family actually enjoyed.
Which is why I kept all of our favorites to share with you.
Soup Rules the Day
The reason this recipe is so great for my family is that I can make a huge amount, freeze and store it for individual lunch or meal servings later.
Depending on the day, mood, or individual needs of the five various personas flying around here, we can use this for lunch, a mini-meal (or snack for the footballer of the house), or a dinner pairing with salad and hearty bread.
Because it is white beans with vegetable broth as the main ingredient, it is also light enough of a dish to cook all year long.
When making this recipe, I recommend taking a cup or two of the beans and broth (about half and half) and blending them with some cornstarch. Add back into the pot while on high heat, stirring well, for a creamy, thicker texture.
To make this officially vegan, just keep off the parmesan cheese topping.
Vegan Mediterranean White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 clove garlic, minced
- 2-3 large carrots, chopped
- 2-3 celery stalks, chopped
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, crushed
- 3 15 ounces canned white beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups baby spinach
- fresh parsley finely chopped, for serving
- Grated parmesean cheese for serving, if desired
Instructions
- In a large pot or saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until onions are translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add vegetable broth and beans, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes to combine all of the flavors together.
- Stir in the spinach and continue to simmer until the spinach wilts, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat, sprinkle fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese, if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
Stay for more than dinner!
You don’t have to be on my particular journey to appreciate trying something new! I don’t get wrapped up in labels, and I don’t suggest limiting yourself to anyone’s definition.
I don’t call myself vegan or even vegetarian because I love fish, eggs, and seafood. The protein they bring to my diet is hard to reproduce strictly with veggies.
Although I used to inhale cheese like it was going out of style, I also found that dairy didn’t love me back, and I cut a lot, but not all, from my menus as well.
So whether you are looking for vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian, or just healthy, fast soup recipes that your whole family will eat, this is the recipe for you!
If you try it out and have feedback for me, please add them to the comments! I would love to chat with you!
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