Hearty Tuscan Vegetable Bean Soup (Easy Recipe)

A nourishing bowl of Hearty Tuscan Vegetable Bean Soup is just perfect when the temperature starts to drop. This recipe is so easy (very little prep time), and delicious and is great for making ahead for meal prep.

This soup is so good, that it’s rivaling my love of chicken tortilla soup this soup season. I love it for its perfectly balanced flavor but also for its simplicity of ingredients (using just pantry staples) and how easy it is to make. I add parmesan to the top of mine but you can easily make this a vegan vegetable bean soup by leaving that out! This soup is hearty and quite filling for a vegetable soup but it doesn’t feel heavy at all. Just over 10 ingredients and less than 1 hour is all you need. Let’s make it!

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase any of the items linked in this post, I should earn a small commission. This creates no additional cost to you and helps support the work that goes into running The Fig Jar. Thank you! -Becky 

Ingredient List

Hearty Tuscan Vegetable Bean Soup

Fresh vegetables:

• Celery
• Carrot
• White or yellow onion
• Garlic (I highly recommend fresh garlic over garlic powder for this recipe)

Canned items

• Canned white beans (I use cannellini beans)
• Canned diced tomatoes
• Vegetable broth or chicken broth

Spices:

• Herbs de Provence (affiliate link)
• Salt and black pepper

Optional:

• Parmesan cheese for topping
• Fresh herbs

Somewhere in the recesses of my memory banks, I knew that this combination of carrot, onion, and celery is called a mirepoix— I most likely learned this while watching Emeril Lagasse’s show. I did a quick Google search to confirm and it turns out a mirepoix is 2 parts onion, 1 part celery, 1 part carrot. I am using equal parts of each which it turns out also has a name – The Holy Trinity. It’s the perfect base for many soups, including my Favorite Chicken Soup. 

What is Herbs de Provence?

Herbs de Provence is the only ingredient in this soup that might not be in every kitchen, but is well worth purchasing! Herbs de Provence is a blend of herbs typically including savory, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. It gets its name from the Provence region of France where these herbs are used often. 

Where to find it 

The blend I get is from Trader Joe’s and it includes thyme, marjoram, savory, rosemary, basil, sage, and lavender. It is the best thing to add to soups and adds amazing flavor all in one little scoop. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you, you might find something similar at your local grocery store. Otherwise, feel free to try this brand (affiliate link) on Amazon. It seems the closest match! 

Herbs de Provence substitute

If you aren’t able to get a hold of herbs de Provence, you can use some or all of the spices that are typically included in it as a substitute. According to The Spice House, you can use the following spices instead of Herbs de Provence:

• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons dried savory
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon dried lavender
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 crushed bay leaf

How to make this Hearty Tuscan Vegetable Bean Soup

Step 1: Saute the veggies

Heat oil in a large pot or a Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat. Then add the carrot, onion and celery. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of salt and a heavy pinch of black pepper. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes.

Step 2: Add the seasonings, beans and stock

Once the veggies are tender, add garlic and stir, allowing to cook for about 1 minute before adding canned tomatoes (make sure to drain the excess liquid!), beans, veggie broth, lemon zest and Herbs de Provence. Allow this to come to a boil then check for taste. Add more salt by the half teaspoon until it tastes right to you. Reduce heat to a simmer. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Continue to simmer for about 15-20 minutes before removing from heat.

Step 3: Add the finishing touches and serve

Add the fresh parsley once the soup is done so it retains its bright green color. I love to top this soup with parmesan! We’ve also added avocado and a squeeze of lemon juice and that was delish. Serving with crusty bread (I prefer sourdough) and butter is also a must!

Additions and Substitutions

As mentioned above, if you don’t have Herbs de Provence, The Spice House gives a list of the quantities of other herbs to use instead. You might be tempted to simply use an Italian seasoning in this recipe since they normally include similar herbs such as dried oregano, thyme, basil, and other seasonings that would be good in soup. However, the lavender and specific ratio of the other spices in Herbs de Provence really gives this soup its signature flavor. If you want to add a bit more spice to this soup, I would recommend a shake of red pepper flakes. If you don’t have cannellini beans, you can use any other white bean: great northern beans, navy beans, white kidney beans, or garbanzo beans.  

Storage Instructions for Hearty Tuscan Vegetable Bean Soup

To store this soup, pour it into an airtight container and allow to cool before storing in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Anyone who has made a good soup recipe at home knows that it gets better as it sits in the fridge! Homemade soup is even better the next day!

Tried this Hearty Vegetable Bean Soup Recipe?

If you try this recipe, please consider leaving a comment/rating below and let me know how it went. I’d love to hear from you! You can also connect with me on instagram and Pinterest.

More homemade soup recipes

• Spicy Black Bean Soup
• Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Favorite Chicken Soup

Vegetable Bean Soup

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5 from 2 reviews

A hearty and nourishing vegetable bean soup you won’t soon forget.

• Author: Becky Schmieg
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Soup
• Cuisine: American, French

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup carrot (diced)
• 1 cup celery (diced)
• 1 cup yellow onion ( diced)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 15.5 oz can diced tomatoes (drained)
• 1 tsp herbs de provence
• 1 15.5 oz can cannelini beans (rinsed and drained)
• zest of half a lemon
• 1 quart vegetable or chicken stock
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped (plus more for serving))

Suggested toppings

• parmesan
• chopped parsley

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Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large stock pot or dutch oven oven medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrot and stir. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of salt and a heavy pinch of black pepper. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
   
2. Add garlic and stir, allow to cook about 1 minute before adding canned tomatoes, beans, lemon zest, herbs de provence and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Continue to simmer for about 15-20 minutes before removing from heat.
   
3. Add fresh parsley and remove from heat.
4. Serve topped with parmesan cheese and more parsley if desired.