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This hearty classic bean soup recipe makes canned beans into a satisfying meal in just 30 minutes! It’s quick and easy, with incredible flavor that tastes like it’s been simmering all day.
Here’s a cozy bowl that’s so hearty and satisfying, you won’t want to put your spoon down. Try this hearty and easy bean soup! This is my go-to favorite recipe, and Alex and I created it to use canned beans but taste like it’s been simmering all day.
Kidney beans and navy beans float in a savory, smoky broth of fire roasted tomatoes that has just the right glossy texture. Each silky, smoky spoonful is a bit of heaven. Plus, it saves well too!
Ingredients in this bean soup
Sure, there are bean soups with dried beans and crockpot recipes that simmer for hours. Those are great—but I also love fast and easy soups where you don’t need to think ahead. (That’s my vibe.) So, I created this classic bean recipe, which requires just over 30 minutes and 3 cans of beans. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Beans: Canned navy beans and kidney beans
- Fire-roasted tomatoes
- Vegetables: Onion, carrots, celery, garlic
- Olive oil
- Vegetable broth
- Spices: Smoked paprika, cumin, fennel seeds, and salt
Smoked paprika is key
Smoked paprika is key to the flavor here! It’s a Spanish version of paprika, often labeled as pimentón, and it infuses smoky flavor to dishes. It’s worth grabbing a bottle for this recipe, and you can use up leftovers in these smoked paprika recipes. The fennel seed is also essential, as it evokes a meaty flavor, since it’s often used in Italian sausage.
Featured 5 star review
“I made this soup and was pleasantly surprised it tasted so good with the small amount of ingredients. It was super quick to make.” -Sharon
Types of beans
Various types of beans work in this mixed bean soup recipe: really any three 15-ounce cans of beans goes! You can also use pre-cooked beans.
- Navy beans are worth seeking out: their small size and buttery flavor is a great contrast to the larger kidney beans. You can substitute cannellini, but they are larger and can taste starchy. Think of using a smaller bean like pinto or black beans instead.
- Kidney beans add a nice contrast in color and size. If you substitute other types, think about these contrasts.
- You can also use beans cooked from dry. Just don’t use them dry in the soup: cook them first! One 15-ounce can equals 1 ½ cups cooked beans, so use 4 ½ cups total canned beans in this recipe.
Use roasted tomatoes for best flavor
The best secret in this bean soup, besides the savory combination of spices? Fire roasted tomatoes. I’ve tested this soup with regular canned tomatoes, and while it’s still good, it lacks the depth and sweetness that makes this version special. Here’s what to know:
- Fire roasted tomatoes are a type of canned tomato that’s roasted over a flame before canning. They’re sold by several different brands; look for them in the canned tomato section in your local grocery. I like Muir Glen.
- Fire roasted tomatoes taste sweet right out of the can. This means you can cook them for less time, which is always a pro in our book!
- If you can’t find them, substitute the highest quality canned tomatoes you can find (like San Marzano). Simmer 5 to 10 minutes longer than specified in the recipe. You also may want to consider adding 1 teaspoon sugar if the soup still tastes bitter or acidic.
Storing leftovers
This bean soup recipe stores very well! Once you’ve simmered it up, you can save it for up to 3 days refrigerated. The flavor just gets better over time! (We were eating this one for days and it kept tasting even more savory and delicious.) You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
Sides to serve with bean soup
Got a big pot of bean soup? There are many sides to serve with soup to make it a meal, from crunchy fresh salads to bread or muffins. Here are some favorite ideas:
- Muffins like cornbread muffins or popovers
- Green salad like arugula salad, apple salad, kale salad, or spring mix salad
- Bread like skillet cornbread, artisan bread, or garlic toast
- Sandwiches like gourmet grilled cheese or baked grilled cheese
- Quesadillas like easy quesadillas or baked quesadillas
Dietary notes
This bean soup recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free. Often bean soups have ham or bacon added, but this one tastes great without the addition of meat since smoked paprika and fennel that infuse meaty flavors. If desired, you can also add a ham hock to the pot while simmering or up to 1 pound ham, chopped into small pieces.
Classic Bean Soup
This classic bean soup recipe tastes irresistibly satisfying! It’s quick and easy, made in just over 30 minutes with canned beans.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 23 minutes
- Total Time: 33 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Soup
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, small diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 28-ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 15-ounce cans navy beans*, drained (or substitute cannellini beans or pinto beans)
- 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained
- 1 quart vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Dice the onion, carrots and celery. Mince the garlic.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté the onion, carrots, and celery for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes, drained beans, vegetable broth, smoked paprika, cumin, fennel seeds (crushing the fennel seeds with your fingers as you add them), and kosher salt. Simmer for 15 minutes**. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Serve warm: leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.
Notes
*Or, substitute any mix of 3 15-ounce cans of different types of beans. Navy beans are worth seeking out: the small size and buttery flavor is a nice contrast to the larger kidney beans. Or, substitute beans cooked from dry: use a total of 4 ½ cups cooked beans.
**The flavor should taste sweet and developed. If you aren’t using fire-roasted tomatoes, simmer 5 to 10 minutes more, and you may want to consider adding 1 teaspoon sugar to round out the flavors.
More bean soup recipes
Many bean varieties make make a great soup: from black to white to garbanzos! Here are some of our top bean soup recipes:
- Try black bean soup or white bean soup.
- Make a pot of kale white bean soup or cabbage soup.
- Try chickpea soup, aka garbanzo bean soup.
I like this recipe but did need to adjust the spices. I used 1 tsp of smoked paprika instead to the required amount and everything else was to taste. I also added an additional can of kidney beans. My husband happily ate the soup with corn bread and enjoyed a simple pantry pull dinner.