This Sweet and Smoky White Bean Soup is inspired by a childhood favorite of mine: bean and bacon soup. I loved bean and bacon soup as a kid! I always chose it over chicken noodle, tomato or any of the other usual soups I grew up on. There was something about that pork and bean combo that I really loved!
While reminiscent of that soup, this vegan version is quite different. Instead of using bacon, this soup is infused with smoky, sweet flavors from maple syrup and liquid smoke, avoiding any fake, soy-filled meat alternatives. So satisfying and delicious! It definitely hits the spot for that pork and bean combo.
I puréed about half of the soup so it has a creamy base from the beans, but is still nice and chunky! Who doesn’t want bites of deliciousness in their soup anyway?! The soup is enriched with roasted garlic and fresh sage, which, in my opinion, really ties this soup together. The roasted chickpeas on top are totally optional, but they’re definitely a tasty touch!
If you give this recipe a try, I would looove to hear about it! Tag @bunnysbite on your photo so I can see your results!
Enjoy!
Sweet & Smoky White Bean Soup (V/GF)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium white or yellow onion diced
- 2 medium-large carrots diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 1 head of roasted garlic *see notes
- 1/2 cup resh sage minced
- 2 15 ounce cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup coconut cream or milk
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup liquid smoke
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- sea salt & ground black pepper, to taste
- red pepper flakes, to taste *optional
Instructions
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Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Then, add the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine and bring to a boil over medium heat and then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
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You can either serve as is, or, for a creamier texture, you can transfer half of the soup to a blender/food processor and blend until smooth and return back to the pot of soup.
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Top with garnish of choice or serve as is. I like to top mine with roasted chickpeas, a dash of pepper flakes and black pepper. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to a month.
Recipe Notes
NOTES: To roast the garlic, preheat oven to 400 degree F and remove the skin of the outer layers of the garlic head, leaving the skins of the individual cloves of garlic intact. Cut 1/4 to a 1/2 inch from the top of cloves. Pour the 1 tbsp of olive oil in a small bowl. Dip the exposed side of the garlic head in the olive oil. With you fingers, rub the oil over all of the exposed garlic. Wrap garlic head in foil and roast in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves are soft to touch. After roasting, remove from oven and set aside to cool. Once cool, squeeze the bottom of the garlic head so that each clove pops out. Set the cloves aside until ready for use.
Want more soup ideas? Check out my Thai-Style Butternut Squash Soup, Root Vegetable Soup and my Creamy Tomato Basil Soup!
