Creamy White Bean Soup with Fresh Tomatoes & Basil
Creamy White Bean Soup with Fresh Tomatoes & Basil is no ordinary bean and tomato soup. The creaminess of this plant-based soup comes from cannellini beans simmered in a garlicky fennel seed broth, then pureed. Taking that simple base to the next level is a flavoursome mix including diced tomato and basil quickly sizzled in olive oil then stirred through the soup.
Combining heartiness with freshness, a bowlful is a perfect meal as late summer turns to Autumn.
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SICILIAN INSPIRED BEAN SOUP
Thanks to the internet, I haven’t bought a printed food magazine in ages. But I still have folders full of recipe clippings from old ones, some going back decades. And it’s one of those clippings that inspired the soup recipe I’m sharing today.
Ironically though, without research made simple by the internet I’d never have known about the quite different traditional Sicilian soup which inspired it.
MACCU OR NOT MACCU?
Titled Maccu (Sicilian bean and tomato soup), the creamy beige bowlful pictured in the magazine looked hugely inviting. Contrasting with the smooth soup was its topping of deep red tomato and onion, bright green basil, and golden fried garlic.
I think it was the idea of those fresh flavours combined with a warming soup that appealed to me. So, on the cusp of late summer turning into autumn, it seemed a good time to finally make a version of my own. And I’m so pleased with the delicious result.
Although I’m familiar with a fair amount of Sicilian food (and highly recommend Clarissa Hyman’s beautiful book Cucina Siciliana), I hadn’t heard of maccu. So, I took a look online. To my surprise the soup turned out quite unlike the one in the magazine. The recipe (by Sophie Grigson) did say it’s usually made from dried broad beans rather than the haricot she used.
But among the variations I discovered there was no mention of fresh tomatoes. Which perhaps shouldn’t be surprising when you learn that maccu is often made as winter turns to spring, incorporating the new season’s Sicilian wild fennel.
But all of that hardly matters. Because while my Creamy White Bean Soup with Fresh Tomatoes & Basil may not have such a catchy name as maccu, I think its title perfectly describes the contrasting elements that make it so special. As to whether it’s maccu or not, I leave others to argue.
CREAMY WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH FRESH TOMATOES & BASIL
I like to think that my recipe has come some way from the magazine one that inspired it. Firstly, I’ve layered in more flavour. Secondly, my version is much quicker. I used canned instead of dried beans which cuts out hours of soaking and simmering.
You’ll find a recipe card at the end with ingredient amounts and full instructions. But I recommend you read the whole of this post for extra tips and images to guide you.
You will probably already have gathered that there are two parts to my Creamy White Bean Soup with Fresh Tomatoes & Basil. The white bean soup base is cooked first, then pureed. It’s this beany puree that makes the soup creamy, not any dairy.
The fresh topping is quickly sizzled in a pan and swirled into the soup just before serving – the same principle as an Indian tarka (see my Spinach Dal for example).
CREAMY WHITE BEAN SOUP
If you’ve made almost any kind of bean soup before, you’ll probably be familiar with my simple method. There are no fancy ingredients involved either. They’re ones I always keep in the fridge and cupboard.
- Extra virgin olive oil.
- Onion.
- Celery. For background flavour, leave out if you don’t like it.
- Garlic.
- Salt and Black Pepper.
- Fennel seeds. A nod to the wild fennel of maccu.
- Dried Oregano.
- Bay leaf. Not essential if you don’t have one.
- Cooked cannellini beans. The tastiest and creamiest white bean, I think.
- Light stock. I prefer chicken, but for a completely plant-based soup you can use vegetable stock.
HOW TO MAKE IT
To make the creamy white bean soup base, start by gently softening the onion, celery, and garlic in olive oil. This should take around 10 minutes. The fennel seeds, oregano and bay leaf go in next, shortly followed by the beans.
Stock is then stirred in, the amount depending on how thick you want the final soup. Maccu can sometimes be so thick it’s possible to slice and fry it like polenta. I prefer my soup softer, so suggest 1 litre of stock. If you prefer it thicker, start with 750 ml and add more to thin later if it needs it.
Simmer the soup base until the vegetables are soft (12 – 15 minutes), take off the heat and remove the bay leaf. I then go in with my stick blender and whizz until completely smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.
Set the base aside while you make the tomato topping. If it’s more convenient, you can make the soup base in advance, chill, then reheat while making the topping.
FRESH TOMATO & BASIL TOPPING
It won’t take long to quickly make the topping, so I recommend prepping all the elements while the soup is simmering.
- Extra virgin olive oil.
- Red onion (yellow/white is fine too) chopped finely.
- Garlic thinly sliced.
- Ripe but still firm tomatoes deseeded and diced.
- Basil leaves tear any larger ones.
- Chilli flakes or red pepper flakes hot or mild. I like fruity gochugaru or Aleppo pepper
Put the oil in a frying pan that will fit all the ingredients in a single layer. Heat to medium-high then add the onion. Stir around for a few minutes or until it’s softening and browning. If there’s any chance of it burning, turn the heat down.
Now add the garlic and fry until lightly golden. Finally, add the tomato, basil, plus the chilli or red pepper flakes. Stir around just until the tomato is hot but still holds its shape. Take off the heat immediately.
SERVING CREAMY WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH FRESH TOMATOES & BASIL
To serve the soup you have two choices. You could add all the tomato and basil mix to the pan of soup, stir it through then divide between bowls. But my preference is to first dish out the creamy bean soup, then add the topping to each serving. I think this looks much nicer as everyone can see the bright, delicious mix and swirl it in for themselves.
Also, while the soup base stores well in the fridge for 2 days or can go in the freezer, the whole point of the topping is that it’s eaten fresh. So, you can just prepare as much or as little of the tomato, garlic and basil as you need depending on the number of servings.
Wonderfully satisfying and full of fresh flavour, Creamy White Bean Soup with Fresh Tomatoes & Basil is easy enough to serve on its own for a simple lunch. But add some good bread like my Seeded Rustic Bread Rolls or Sicilian Semolina Bread plus a salad and you have a real feast.
If you’ve made this recipe, I’d love to know what you thought. Please do leave a comment and rating.
Creamy White Bean Soup with Fresh Tomatoes & Basil
No ordinary bean and tomato soup, a base of cannellini beans simmered in a garlicky fennel seed broth is pureed then topped with a flavoursome sizzling mix including diced ripe tomato plus basil. Inspired by a traditional Sicilian soup but combining heartiness with freshness.
It's recommended that you read the accompanying blog post before starting.
Ingredients
For the soup base
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 large onion (roughly chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (finely chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped or sliced)
- salt and black pepper
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 450 - 500 g cooked cannellini beans (approximately 2 standard tins after draining)
- 750 - 1000 ml/g light stock (vegetable or chicken)
For the topping
- 2.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ - 1 medium - small red onion (chopped fine to medium)
- 3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 350 g ripe but firm tomatoes (deseeded and diced: weight is before preparation)
- 2 handfuls basil leaves (roughly torn if large)
- ½ - 1 tsp hot or mild chilli/red pepper flakes
Instructions
Make the soup base
-
Put the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in the onion, celery, and garlic plus a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are starting to soften and colour (approx. 10 minutes).
Add the fennel seeds, oregano and bay leaf and stir around for a few minutes or until the aroma rises from the fennel seeds.
Stir in the cannellini beans so they're coated in the flavourings.
Add 750 ml of the stock plus another grind of pepper.
Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low. Put on a lid and simmer until the vegetables are completely soft (approximately 10 - 15 min).
Remove the bay leaf.
Use a stick or immersion blender to puree the soup. If it's thicker than you'd like, blend in more of the stock.
Taste and add more salt and/or pepper if needed.
Set aside while you make the topping.
Tip: soup can be made in advance and reheated just before adding the topping.
Make the topping (immediately before serving)
-
Put the olive oil in a frying pan that will fit all the topping ingredients in a single layer. Heat to medium-high.
Add the red onion and quickly cook until tender and starting to brown (turn down the heat if it darkens too fast).
Stir in the garlic and cook until just golden.
Add the tomato, basil and chilli and briefly cook just until the tomato is hot but not falling apart.
Serving the soup
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Divide the soup between bowls then share the topping among them.
Serve immediately and let each person swirl the topping through their soup.
-
Alternative: stir all the topping into the pan of soup then serve. However, it looks nicer if piled on top of individual bowls.
Soup base, without the topping, can be made in advance and chilled for 2 days or frozen. As the topping is best eaten fresh, only make as much topping as needed depending on the number of servings.
Recipe Notes
Adapted from a recipe by Sophie Grigson.
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