Tomato Green Bean Soup

One bite of this soup, and you will never look at green beans the same way again. Sure, green beans may be the side that gets the least love at Thanksgiving Dinner, especially if served in casserole form, but this green bean soup recipe will completely rehabilitate the image of this surprisingly nutritious veggie.

This green bean soup recipe takes all of 10 minutes to prep and then cooks in just a bit more than 30 minutes. Not only will it refresh your impression of green beans, but it might just become a household staple. Or, who knows, maybe it will become a new Thanksgiving tradition? It will be right at home any time of year.

Ingredients for Green Bean Soup

• Onion: This soup calls for an entire cup of chopped onion, so you know things are going to be tasty. You can use a white or a yellow onion interchangeably.
• Carrots: The chopped carrots add color, nutrition, texture, and taste. And hey, isn’t that all you could ask for in a veggie?
• Butter: Like any good recipe, this one has a decent dose of butter.
• Reduced-sodium broth: You can use chicken or vegetable broth and the soup will taste great either way.
• Green beans: This soup calls for an entire pound of fresh green beans, rinsed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• Garlic: A single clove of fresh garlic, well minced, always goes a long way, and that’s sure true here.
• Tomatoes: You’ll need a generous three cups of diced fresh tomatoes, and try to retain some of their liquid for good measure and flavor.
• Basil: This recipe calls for either a quarter of a cup of minced fresh basil or one tablespoon of dried basil
• Salt and pepper: Well of course you were going to find salt and pepper here, right!?

Directions

Step 1: Sauté the onion and carrot, then add the broth and veggies

In a large saucepan, sauté the chopped onion and carrots in the butter, stirring often, for five minutes. Then, stir in the broth, green beans, and garlic and bring the soup to a boil. Next, reduce the heat, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Step 2: Stir in the rest of the ingredients and simmer again

Once the green beans are good and tender, add the tomatoes, basil, and salt and pepper and stir everything a few times. Then, cover the pot and let things simmer for five minutes longer.

Tomato Green Bean Soup Variations

• Use canned or frozen veggies: If it’s not the right season or you can’t easily source fresh green beans and tomatoes, you can use canned or frozen options. Make sure the frozen green beans are fully thawed and use some of the leftover liquid from the canned tomatoes in the soup. Just shorten the initial simmer time, as canned or frozen green beans will already be much more tender than fresh ones.
• Go vegan: It’s easy to make this soup vegan-friendly by opting for vegetable broth and replacing the butter with a plant-based alternative or simply using olive oil in its place.
• Add white beans: Adding great northern beans or cannellini beans as you add the tomatoes makes this a protein-rich and much heartier stew, and when served that way alongside some bread, it’s a complete meal.

How to Store Tomato Green Bean Soup

This soup can be safely stored in the fridge in an airtight container for three to four days.  A sealed glass container is the best storage vessel.

How to reheat tomato green bean soup?

The microwave is the quickest and easiest way to reheat this soup. Just zap it for a minute in a microwave-safe container and then test the temperature, continuing with 30-second heatings as needed. But the best way to warm up this soup is to get it back on the stove, adding a splash of broth as it warms if the soup has thickened.

Can you freeze tomato green bean soup?

Yes, you can. This soup will keep well in the freezer for up to three months. Just make sure to remove as much air as possible from its freezer-safe container before you freeze it.

Tomato Green Bean Soup Tips

What can I add to this soup to make it a meal?

As noted, this soup is great when you add white beans, but that’s hardly the limit. You can also add cubed ham, chunks of chicken, sliced sausage, and so much more. You can also add rice or pasta noodles for the carbs. Adding a protein, whether it’s meat-based or plant-based, and some starches make this a filling and nutritious meal in a bowl.

Is this soup low in calories?

Very low! If you make it as the recipe calls for without additions, a 1-cup serving will contain fewer than 60 calories. Reducing the amount of butter used will lower the calorie count even more.

What other veggies can I try with this soup?

Adding a leafy green vegetable like chopped kale at about 15 minutes into the first simmer is a great way to up the nutritional value of this soup.