Soup season has arrived, and this potato and bean soup is exactly the kind of bowl I reach for when the air turns cool.
It is hearty, full of protein, and built on affordable pantry staples, so it works just as well as a simple lunch as it does as a cozy dinner.
Pair it with crusty bread and you have a meal that costs very little and tastes like you spent all afternoon on it.
The first time I made this soup, I was cleaning out my cupboard on a rainy Sunday and found two cans of cannellini beans sitting next to a bag of potatoes.
Potato And Bean Soup: A Hearty And Nutritious Comfort Food 21
About forty five minutes later my kitchen smelled like paprika and oregano, and everyone at the table was already asking for a second bowl. That is the charm of this recipe. It does not ask for anything fancy.
It simply asks for a few minutes of chopping and a little patience while the flavors come together.
Here is what makes it such a dependable pot of soup:
Budget friendly. Canned beans, potatoes, and the classic onion, carrot, and celery base keep the shopping list short and cheap.
Naturally vegan. Olive oil, tomato paste, and dried herbs do all the heavy lifting, so no dairy or meat is needed.
Freezer friendly. Make a batch now and thaw it on a night when there is no time to cook.
Even better the next day. The beans and potatoes soak up more of that rich tomato broth overnight.
Everything on this list is a pantry or produce aisle staple. The recipe makes 6 cups of soup, which is 4 generous servings of about 1.5 cups each.
Potato And Bean Soup: A Hearty And Nutritious Comfort Food 22
Ingredient
Amount
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon
Onion, diced (any color is fine)
1
Celery rib, diced
1
Large carrot, diced
1
Garlic cloves, minced
2
Dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon
Dried oregano
2 teaspoons
Paprika
2 teaspoons
Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups of cooked beans
2 cans, 14 oz / 400 g each
Potatoes, peeled and diced, about 2 large potatoes
15 oz / 450 g
Low sodium vegetable broth
4 cups / 960 ml
Tomato paste
3 tablespoons
Salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon
Black pepper
To taste
Fresh parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons
Two small things worth knowing before you start. First, the potato weight is measured after peeling, so buy a little more than 15 ounces. Second, if your broth already tastes salty on its own, hold most of the salt back and season at the end instead.
How to make potato and bean soup
This is the quick overview so you can see how simple the whole thing is. The full printable recipe card is at the bottom of this page, and the total time is about 45 minutes, with 10 minutes of prep and 35 minutes of cooking.
Potato And Bean Soup: A Hearty And Nutritious Comfort Food 23
Build the base. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.
Bloom the aromatics. Stir in the garlic, paprika, and dried herbs, and cook for one more minute until everything smells fragrant.
Add the heart of the soup. Add the beans, potatoes, broth, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. If your broth tastes quite salty on its own, season lightly here and adjust at the end of the cooking time.
Simmer. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lid, and simmer for 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
Thicken it, optional. Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool slightly, then blend about 2 cups of the soup with a blender or a stick blender and return it to the pot. Do not over blend the potatoes, or they will turn gluey. Be careful, the soup is still hot.
Finish with freshness. Stir in the parsley, then taste and adjust the seasoning and the consistency. If you prefer a thinner soup, add a splash more broth.
Serve. Ladle into bowls and serve with croutons or crusty bread on the side. A sprinkle of chili flake and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top is lovely too.
My best tip: blend only about 2 cups of the soup, not the whole pot. That small amount is enough to make the broth silky while leaving plenty of soft potato chunks and whole beans behind.
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When I make this on a weeknight, I chop the onion, carrot, and celery while the oil heats, and the pot is usually simmering before I have finished tidying the cutting board. It is that relaxed.
recipe notes
After making this soup more times than I can count, these are the small decisions that matter most. Here is a quick look at the nutrition first, based on the source recipe.
Per serving, 1.5 cups
Amount
Calories
292
Carbohydrates
53 g
Protein
13 g
Fat
4 g
Saturated fat
1 g
Fiber
11 g
Sugar
4 g
Sodium
707 mg
Bean and potato soup ingredients
Beans. Cannellini beans are my first choice because they are creamy and hold their shape, but you have plenty of room to play.
Navy beans, Great Northern beans, and lima beans all work beautifully, and if you prefer pinto, azuki, or kidney beans, those are great too. Canned beans are the convenient option and they are what the recipe calls for.
If you want to save a little money, dried white beans are cheaper, but plan ahead, because they need to be presoaked and cooked until they still hold their texture and a little bite, so they do not fall apart in the soup.
Potatoes. Choose a potato that keeps its shape. Yukon gold is a wonderful all purpose choice, and any baking potato works well. Potatoes that turn to mush will leave you with a cloudy, pasty pot of soup instead of distinct, soft chunks.
The flavor base. Onion, carrots, and celery sauteed in olive oil is the classic mirepoix start, and the garlic goes in right after so it does not burn. This is where most of the depth comes from, so give those vegetables the full 5 minutes.
Potato And Bean Soup: A Hearty And Nutritious Comfort Food 25
Spices and herbs. Paprika, dried oregano, and dried thyme season the tomato broth and give it a warm, almost smoky character. Fresh parsley goes in at the very end so it keeps its bright color and fresh flavor.
Broth. Low sodium vegetable broth keeps the soup light and vegan. Regular vegetable broth or chicken broth can be used instead, but adjust the seasoning, because some broths are quite salty on their own.
Tomato paste. This is the ingredient that turns a plain bean and potato soup into something rich and satisfying. It adds flavor depth and makes the broth fuller and more colorful.
Salt and pepper. Always taste before serving and adjust to your own liking. A soup that tastes flat usually just needs a pinch more salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
Storage tips & leftovers
This soup keeps beautifully in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in a sealed container, which makes it a great meal prep option for the week ahead. I often make it on Sunday and eat it for lunch on Monday and Tuesday.
It thickens as it sits, so loosen it with a splash of broth or water when you reheat it.
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It also freezes well. Let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer safe container, or divide it among several smaller containers so you can thaw only what you need. It keeps for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove, stirring now and then.
bean soup recipes you’ll love
If this pot of soup disappears as fast at your house as it does at mine, here are more bean soups worth adding to your rotation. They all lean on the same affordable, plant based approach, and most of them come together in one pot on a weeknight.
White bean soup
White bean stew
Butter bean soup
White bean and kale soup
Lima bean soup
Pinto bean soup
White bean and tomato soup
Creamy bean soup
Italian white bean soup
Chickpea bean soup
Not sure where to start? If you loved the creamy texture of this potato and bean soup, try the creamy bean soup or the butter bean soup next.
If you want something a little greener and heartier, the white bean and kale soup is a wonderful choice. And if you happen to have a can of chickpeas in the cupboard, chickpea bean soup is a great way to use it up.
You will also find plenty of vegan soup recipes and bean recipes on the site, so there is always another cozy bowl waiting when the weather turns cold.
FAQs
What beans go best in potato bean soup?
Cannellini beans are the top choice for potato bean soup because they are creamy and hold their shape during cooking. Other excellent options include Great Northern beans, navy beans, or butter beans. For the best convenience, use two 14-ounce cans of beans, rinsed and drained.
How do you thicken potato bean soup?
The best method to thicken potato bean soup is to blend about 2 cups of the finished soup and stir it back into the pot. Use an immersion blender or standard blender, but be careful not to over-blend the potatoes or they will become gluey. This technique creates a creamy texture without adding dairy.
Can you freeze potato and bean soup?
Yes, potato and bean soup freezes very well for up to 2 months. Allow the soup to cool completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers, leaving a little headspace for expansion. It is an excellent option for meal prep.
How long does potato bean soup last in the fridge?
Potato bean soup will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days when stored in an airtight container. The soup will thicken as it sits, so you may want to add a splash of broth when reheating to restore the desired consistency. This makes it a great make-ahead meal.
Potato and Bean Soup Soup season has arrived, and this potato and bean soup is exactly the kind of bowl I reach for when the air turns cool. It is hearty, full of protein, and built on affordable pantry staples, so it works just as well as a simple lunch as it does as a cozy dinner.
Total Time:45 min
Yield:6 cups1x
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 Onion, diced (any color is fine) 1 celery rib, diced 1 large carrot, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced ½ teaspoon dried thyme 2 teaspoon dried oregano 2 teaspoon paprika 2 cans Cannellini beans or your fav beans, rinsed and drained (or 3 cups of cooked beans) each can 14oz/400gr 15 oz Potatoes, peeled and diced (weighed after peeling, it’s around 2 large potatoes) (450 grams) 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, (960 ml) 3 tablespoon tomato paste 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste black pepper, to taste 3 tablespoon Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Instructions 1-Warm the olive oil in a large: Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. 2-Stir in the garlic, paprika, dried herbs,: Stir in the garlic, paprika, dried herbs, and cook for an extra minute until fragrant. 3-Add the beans, potatoes, broth, tomato paste,: Add the beans, potatoes, broth, tomato paste, and seasoning. If using a broth that tastes quite salty on its own, I recommend seasoning to taste at the end of the cooking time. 4-Raise the heat and bring the mixture: Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lid, and simmer for 30 minutes. 5-Optional (to thicken the broth): Optional (to thicken the broth): Remove the pot from heat, let it cool slightly, then blend about 2 cups of the soup with a blender or a stick blender and return it to the pot. Don’t over-blend the potatoes, or they will turn gluey. Be careful; the soup is still hot. 6-Stir in the parsley, then taste and: Stir in the parsley, then taste and adjust the seasoning and consistency if desired. If you prefer a thinner soup, you might want to add a touch of broth. 7-Divide into bowls and serve with croutons: Divide into bowls and serve with croutons or crusty bread on the side. I also like a sprinkle of chili flake and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil drizzle. Enjoy!
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