Okay, the holidays are almost over, and now I’m craving something light and healthy after all that food. I love finding soup and salad recipes around this time of year. Especially soups because they are so comforting and filling. Bonus if they are vegan or vegetarian, and that’s why I am in love with this Nourishing White Bean and Lemon Soup. It’s full of things I love and it’s vegetarian but can easily become vegan by changing or omitting the cheese. I say change it to vegan cheese because it’s more than a garnish—it’s melted into the broth. How good does that sound? I need to find out if it states as good as it sounds!
Nourishing White Bean and Lemon Soup is a vegetarian, fiber-filled meal ready in just 40 minutes. A one-pot meal perfect for make-ahead lunches or easy weeknight dinner.
The Ingredients
I was out of everything since I cleaned out my refrigerator for Christmas dinner and leftovers. My pre-shopping pantry check showed me I needed to buy everything but the kosher salt, pepper, and olive oil.
A trip to my usual grocery store was all it took to find the ingredients for this Nourishing White Bean and Lemon Soup. I know some people don’t like canned beans, but I find them so convenient because they eliminate the hours-long soaking and cooking process.
The Process
This recipe lists 5 minutes to prep, 35 minutes to cook, and a total time of 40 minutes. My prep work took a bit longer. Here’s how it broke down:
- 18 minutes to prep
- 36 minutes to cook
- 54 minutes total
The prep work involved chopping onion, carrots, and escarole, mincing garlic and rosemary, plus draining and rinsing two cans of beans. I also had to zest and juice a lemon. There’s no way I could do that in five minutes. Maybe if I bought pre-chopped vegetables and used minced garlic in a jar. Maybe.
Despite the prep work taking longer than the time listed, everything else went smoothly. I started off by pureeing some of the cannellini beans with vegetable broth. Then I moved to the stove and began cooking the soup. The instructions were easy to follow along, and my cast-iron Dutch oven was perfect for this recipe, but I think a slightly smaller pot would work too.
The cooking time was on point, and I had a delicious soup ready to ladle into bowls about half an hour later. I garnished it with a touch more of grated parmesan and a sprig of rosemary. So pretty and so tasty!
