Hearty Italian White Bean Soup (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
01 -
1 teaspoon olive oil
02 -
1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 -
1 14oz can full-fat coconut milk
04 -
3 garlic cloves, minced
05 -
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained of oil
06 -
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
07 -
1 teaspoon salt
08 -
1 28oz can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
09 -
2 19oz cans low sodium white beans, drained and rinsed
10 -
3 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth
11 -
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
12 -
1 cup whole grain or regular rotini pasta (gluten-free, if needed)
13 -
Salt and pepper, to taste
# Instructions:
01 -
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion until softened and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Alternatively, you can do this step in the slow cooker if it has a sauté function.
02 -
In a blender, combine coconut milk, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and salt. Blend on high until smooth.
03 -
Add the onion and blended coconut mixture to the slow cooker along with diced tomatoes, white beans, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine.
04 -
Cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.
05 -
When there is half an hour left on the timer, turn the heat to high (if not already on high) and add the dry pasta, stirring to combine. Stir in spinach five minutes before cooking is complete.
06 -
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired.
# Notes:
01 -
Blend the coconut milk and sun-dried tomato mixture in a mini blender for a smoother consistency, but use any blender available.
02 -
Chop the spinach for a more subtle texture if preferred; frozen chopped spinach works as a convenient option too.
03 -
Soup thickens as it sits; add extra broth to thin it out before serving if needed.
04 -
To avoid over-thickening when preparing in advance, cook pasta separately and add it just before serving.