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You are here: Home / beans / White Bean Soup with Roasted Tomatoes & Balsamic Vinegar

White Bean Soup with Roasted Tomatoes & Balsamic Vinegar

July 4, 2010 By Laura 8 Comments

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In typical “Duh!” fashion, I photographed the soup before I decided to add the balsamic vinegar–and the vinegar is crucial, or at least it was to us, to the final taste of the dish.

And just as I was getting caught up on blogging… life has caught up with me again. Ridiculous. I’ve been sitting on this soup for a week or so now. Summer is just busy. I cannot decide if this is a sign of my future life with older kids, or just a sign of summer. I suspect the former, which means I need to find a way to fit in sleep and blogging–those are the 2 activities most getting shortchanged!


Anyway, this soup. This is an unusual post for me because honestly the kids did not like this much, but John and I really did. I hemmed and hawed about whether to post it and then decided that I was being ridiculous. I think my kids hate white food. They react funny to most potato dishes too. But if you like bean soups, are not averse to white food, and like tomatoes, then this is a good soup for you. Be sure to make this soup with freshly picked, really ripe tomatoes–then it will really shine.


And it is true this soup was not very photogenic.


White Bean Soup with Roasted Tomatoes & Balsamic Vinegar
Recipe by The Spiced Life

1 lb dried flageolet beans (or any other dried white bean)
1lb small red onions, quartered
6 garlic cloves, minced
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs medium-large tomatoes, cored and cut in half
1 lb cherry tomatoes
1 t sea salt
1 t sugar
1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
balsamic vinegar, decent quality
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

I use good quality, fresh dried beans and as a result rarely soak. But if your beans need soaking, begin this recipe the night before by soaking the beans.

When I do soak, I like to cook the beans in the soaking water, but do to your preference. Either way, cover the beans in a large pot with water by 1-2 inches. Add the onions and the garlic with a drizzle of olive oil and bring to a rolling boil. Let boil for 5 minutes and then reduce the heat to low and cover to maintain a gentle simmer. When the beans are tender, salt to taste and let simmer an additional 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste again at the end. If desired, using an immersion blender, puree just a bit, to create a rustic, thicker stewlike texture (you can also ladle a cup or 2 into a blender and puree just it).

In the meantime, prepare the tomatoes. Preheat the oven to 500 F (or 475 F convection). Toss the tomatoes–both whole cherry and halved larger–with the salt, sugar and oil. Place in a shallow casserole dish or roasting pan. Roast, uncovered, until the cherry tomatoes are soft and slightly charred and the larger tomatoes are also charred in spots.

Serve by ladling the soup into a bowl and topping with tomatoes (make sure to include the flavorful extra virgin oil the tomatoes were roasted in). Garnish with torn basil leaves and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Filed Under: beans, tomatoes

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Comments

  1. Joanne says

    July 5, 2010 at 5:23 am

    Balsamic vinegar makes everything better, I think. I've been really into white beans lately so I love this!

    As for time management, I wish I had some tips but I seem more busy now that it's summer than I was during the school year! Go figure.

    Reply
  2. Simply Life says

    July 5, 2010 at 8:56 am

    yum! great soup!

    Reply
  3. Jennifurla says

    July 5, 2010 at 12:10 pm

    Looks very good, my kid barely eats anything I make

    Reply
  4. Tangled Noodle says

    July 5, 2010 at 12:47 pm

    Life can get so busy and hectic but there's always time to slow down and enjoy a delicious bowl of soup like this!

    Reply
  5. Cristina - Teenie Cakes says

    July 5, 2010 at 2:06 pm

    It's always a good time for soup and this soup looks fantastic with tasty ingredients!

    Reply
  6. grace says

    July 5, 2010 at 6:36 pm

    this is a unique bean soup, laura! i really like the idea of a dash of balsamic, and the roasted maters are an excellent component!

    Reply
  7. Amy says

    July 5, 2010 at 8:34 pm

    Oh my goodness, it's literally 100 degrees here in NY this week so I can't say I agree that it's always a good time for (hot) soup — but this looks fabulous and when it cools down a bit out there, I will definitely give it a whirl! Glad you enjoyed, even if the kids weren't into it.

    Reply
  8. Rachel @ Working Out Wellness says

    July 5, 2010 at 11:34 pm

    Since I instituted a soup & bread night at our house, I've been looking for tasty & interesting soups to try. This looks great! I'll definitely be trying it & "buzzing" it! 😀

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Laura and I am a recovering history major who has re-channeled all of my passion for learning about the history of different countries to learning about their food culture. That doesn’t mean every dish on here is strictly authentic, but it does mean that even my adaptations are not undertaken lightly. My goal is to show you–by doing–that these dishes are possible in your kitchen. Including desserts because I have quite the sweet tooth! Read More…

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