30/12/2025

Bean and Pulse Soups

Bean and Pulse Soups can be tasty, nutritious and economical. Whether you’re looking for a hearty bowlful like minestrone, a simple delicate lentil soup, or something special like creamy bean and pancetta, you’ll find lots to tempt you in this round-up of my favourite bean and pulse soups.

BEAN AND PULSE SOUPS

I think bean and pulse soups are among the very best you can make. With so many varieties of beans, lentils, and peas now available tinned, dried, and in sachets, the range of soups you can make really is infinite. As they have a long shelf life, I always keep a good range in the house. They always include split red lentils, green and yellow split peas, chickpeas, cannellini beans, and borlotti beans. These are sometimes supplemented by black and black-eyed beans plus British grown carlin peas.

*a range of beans and pulses used in soups and stews*

So, in this post I’ve brought together more than 20 of my favourite bean and pulse soups. Click through to the recipes (via the headings or images) and you’ll find some that are quick and super-simple, others which take a little more time and a few more ingredients.

SOUP OR STEW, WINTER OR SUMMER

Because the distinction between a soup and a stew is sometimes blurred, and I really didn’t want to leave out some wonderful dishes, you’ll find a few recipes I’ve called stews. Also, while we often think of bean and pulse soups as something to warm you on a chilly day, you’ll find one or two more suitable for finer weather, e.g. Soup au Pistou which makes the most of summer vegetables.

Whichever recipes you try, I think you’ll be rewarded with great taste in every bowl.

Sausage, Potato, Bean and Kale Soup

Hearty and warming, a complete meal in a bowl. Protein, carbs and veggies are cooked in a soothing, garlicky broth that tastes lightly creamy thanks to a combination of chicken stock and milk.

Minestrone Soup

One of the great things about this hearty one pot meal (whose name literally translates as ‘big soup’) is that you can adapt it to the ingredients available. This is a winter Minestrone with carrots, potatoes, and kale plus bacon. In summer, swap in courgettes and lots of fresh basil.

Mushroom, Lentil & Kale Stew

This easy vegetarian (and vegan adaptable) stew or soup is rich, thick, and tasty. Packed full of veg plus whole lentils in a lightly creamy, garlic and thyme flavoured broth.

Roasted Red Pepper & Borlotti Bean Soup

This colourful warming soup with a hint of chilli and smoked paprika uses quick and convenient jarred roasted peppers and tinned beans. If you don’t have borlotti beans than you could swap in red kidney, cannellini or almost any other type of bean.

Lentil & Bacon Soup

Made with quick cooking split red lentils plus smoked bacon and vegetables, Lentil & Bacon Soup transforms everyday ingredients into something hearty, comforting, and delicious.

Spicy Sweet Potato and Chickpea Stew

A satisfying, comforting bowlful with an Indian-inspired mix of aromatics, whole and ground spices. Packed with vegetables and pulses, you can eat this on its own, with yogurt, or serve with rice or bread.

Scotch Broth

Also known as barley broth, this is an economical one-pot meal. As well as split peas and lentils there’s pearl barley, root vegetables, and greens, all stretching a little leftover lamb to feed six people generously.

Creamy White Bean Soup

I love that beans and pulses can bring a creaminess to soups without adding cream. Near the end of cooking, simply whizz some (or all) of the soup with a stick blender. Which is exactly what I did with this lovely Creamy White Bean Soup, subtly flavoured with garlic and rosemary.

Creamy Bean & Pancetta Soup

This gorgeous soup that’s impressive enough for entertaining, is based on the vegetarian white bean soup above, but here I’ve added an extra salty, smoky element with pancetta or bacon. I use cannellini beans but you can swap in haricot or butter beans.

Spinach Dal

Inspired by Indian dal palak, you can eat this wonderfully vibrant split pea dish as a soup or a curry, depending on how much water you want to add. A final flourish of cumin seeds and chilli sizzled in butter, ghee or coconut oil adds even more flavour.

Spanish Lamb Stew

Admittedly more of a stew than a soup, this richly flavoured delight just has to have a place among my favourite bean and pulse soups. Inspired by a dish I ate many years ago in central Spain, my version includes chickpeas to stretch the tender lamb further and also take up the flavours of the garlic and paprika scented broth.

Simple Lentil Soup

A fine example of the fact that good food doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With ingredients I always have to hand – red lentils, onion, garlic, cumin, lemon – it’s easy to make a batch whenever I fancy something warming and comforting.

Split Pea & Ham Soup

Versions of Split Pea & Ham Soup have been made in Britain for centuries. And no wonder. It’s a dish which can be quite frugal or deliciously rich. Packed with nutritious, fibre and protein-rich dried peas, plenty of vegetables and tasty ham, it’s top-notch comfort food.

Smoky Lentil & Vegetable Soup

This soup is full of smoky flavour whether you make the original with bacon, or follow my tip for a completely plant-based version. Either way, a bowl will provide you with around half of your five-a-day veg portions.

Harira: Moroccan Soup with Chickpeas & Lentils

This take on a traditional Moroccan soup is fragrant with spices and zesty lemon, and full of hearty chickpeas and lentils. I like it with lamb too, or you can swap in more beans and pulses. Often eaten to break a fast, it’s satisfying without being heavy.

Spicy Carlin Pea Soup with Roasted Peppers

While my Spicy Carlin Pea Soup includes the hearty beans and pulses that are a mainstay of so many cold weather soups, it also harks back to sunnier days with sweet roasted peppers from a jar. Don’t have carlin peas? Swap in chickpeas, black-eyed peas, green or brown lentils.

Chickpea, Chorizo & Kale Soup

In this hearty soup smoked paprika intensifies the chorizo flavour of a garlicky broth that’s subtly spiced with cumin and chilli. Add in chickpeas, potatoes, kale, or other greens, and you’ve a filling, tasty bowl for lunch or dinner.

Spiced Split Pea Soup with Apple & Coconut

In this light and refreshing soup, split peas are enlivened with spices and given a nuttiness with coconut. Tangy apple gives a welcome sharpness. I love it with a crunchy garnish of fried potato matchsticks.

Soup au Pistou

This vegetable, bean, and pasta soup from the south of France is traditionally based on seasonal summer vegetables. It’s flavoured with a punchy basil and garlic pistou from which the dish gets its name. Served with a scattering of cheese, it makes an easy but satisfying lunch or dinner.

Bean, Bacon & Cabbage Soup

There are so many versions of this soup across western Europe. From Italian ribollita and French garbure to Spanish caldo, they all have in common beans and leafy greens. Most also include some piggy ingredient like ham, bacon, or sausage. Nourishing and flavour-packed, my recipe will give you 3 to 4 four portions of veg per bowl.

Hummus Soup

Made using leftovers of the ever-popular chickpea and tahini dip, this light and refreshing soup can be ready in just five minutes! Perfect for a quick lunch or unusual first course.

Chorizo, Bean & Cavolo Nero Soup

Although chorizo is a must in this rich soup with a chilli kick, you can use almost any beans and swap in cabbage, spinach or curly kale for the cavolo nero. To take it to the next level, I top each bowl with crispy chorizo bits plus crunchy garlic and chorizo-flavoured croutons.

Spicy Lentil & Coconut Soup

This soup is another based on economical, easily available split red lentils. But it’s at the other end of the scale from the Simple Lentil Soup above. Here, they’re simmered with tomatoes, vegetables and spices then made creamy with coconut milk. To finish, whole spices are fried and stirred through the soup, adding more vibrant flavour.