Warm, hearty, and packed with flavor—this Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup is the ultimate comfort food! Simple ingredients, rich taste, and perfect for cozy nights.
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Why You’ll LOVE This Recipe!
Perfect for chilly days, when you are trying to eat vegetarian, or just feel like a warming bowl of soup!
You will LOVE this Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup because it’s packed with beans and veggies- yet doesn’t taste like your grandpa’s navy bean soup.
This Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup is a hearty option that even non-vegetarians will love. The combination of veggies, broth, and beans will satisfy you!
Make this to pair with a grilled cheese on a wintery day and you’ll have leftovers for a few days. This is the best type of meal prepping!
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup
This soup actually one you can keep most of the ingredients in your pantry. That way you can whip it up whenever the craving hits!
Navy Beans– Dry beans are a great economical option!
Tomato Paste– If you can, get the Italian version for some additional flavor!
In addition, you will need onion, celery, carrots, chicken broth, and a few spices!
How to Make Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup
We are going to walk through this soup step-by-step so you are sure to have a delicious result.
If you are using dry navy beans you’ll want to prep them a day or so before! Rinse them under running water and remove any odd pieces. Add to a large bowl of water. The bean bag will tell you how much you need (likely 6-8 cups of water).
After 24 hours, strain and rinse the beans. Then, fill up a large pot with water and the beans. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. Cook them at this temperature until they are soft as desired. Once done, remove from the water and rinse. Set aside until you are ready to start your soup!
Start by chopping up your onions, celery, and carrots. The onions can be as small or large as you’d like but try to make the celery and carrots a similar size. This helps for them to cook at the same pace.
Turn on your stove heat to medium, add olive oil to a large pot and allow to warm up. Once up to heat, add in your onions, celery, and carrots.
Once the celery and carrots are at your desired tenderness add in the cooked beans, chicken broth, tomato paste, and spices. Allow this mixture to cook for about 10 minutes.
Then, grab your immersion blender and blend the soup until it reached your desired consistency. I like to blend about half of it up and keep the other half of ingredients whole. You can allow this to cook on low until you are ready to eat!
Additions and Substitutions
- If there are any other veggies you are trying to get into your diet, this would be a great recipe for that! You can add many veggies and the soup will still be delicious.
- Top this soup with your favorite cheese! It will begin to melt as you dig in and you’ll get an incredible cheese pull.
- I recommend you first try this soup as written, but if you want to add a protein source beyond navy beans you can add in sausage, bacon bits, or kielbasa.
- Top this soup with savory croutons for some additional texture.
If there are any additions or substitutions you try and love be sure to leave it in the comments down below so I can give it a taste as well!
Expert Tips and Tricks
If you don’t have an immersion blender you can still get the creaminess you desire in this soup! Before I had one, I would ad a few cups of the soup to a blender at a time and whip it up! But you have to be careful when opening the lid on the blender. The heat from the soup will cause a suction. You may get a small explosion!
Simply add this mixture back to the pot of soup and mix it in. Repeat this until you reach your desired consistency.
Dry beans are more cost-efficient but they do require a bit more preparations. If you want to skip this additional prep use canned navy beans!
If you have any expert tips and tricks after making this soup be sure to leave it in the comments down below! I’d love to learn from you, too!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
If your questions hasn’t been answered so far, you may find it here! If your question isn’t answered leave it in the comments down below. I’ll be sure to get you an answer as I am able to!
Do I need to soak navy beans before cooking them?
If you are using dry navy beans and not attempting to ‘quick cook’ them then yes, soaking them would be ideal!
What is the difference between navy beans and great northern beans?
Navy beans and great northern beans are both white but that’s about where their similarities end. Navy beans tend to be smaller than northern, have a more ‘earthy’ flavor, are creamier, and better for soups!
How healthy is navy bean soup?
Navy beans are an awesome source of protein and fiber! A half-cup serving has about 130 calories, almost 10g of fiber, and over 7g of protein! Just think- ½ cup really isn’t that much and it has all this great nutrition!
What do I pair with navy bean soup?
A great crust piece of bread, grilled cheese, or sandwich would pair well with navy bean soup! If you’re feeling fancy a delicious charcuterie board would also be a great addition.
A Word From A Registered Dietitian
This soup is lower in calories, packed with veggies, and has protein from navy beans. This makes for a hearty and healthy soup!
Not all meals need to include an animal protein. Start by opting for one vegetarian meal a week and slowly increase until you are celebrating a full-day of eating vegetarian!
This way of eating can have heart health benefits, be helpful in weight management, and up your veggie intake (hello 5-a-day!)
Craving More?
If you make this Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup be sure to leave a 5-star rating and comment down below. It really helps spread the recipe so more can give it a try! Also, tag me in a photo of your creation on Instagram. I would love to see and share it!
Looking for other side dishes? Give these a taste:
Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup Recipe
Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 Cups Navy Beans
- 3 Teaspoons Olive Oil
- 2 Teaspoons Garlic Minced
- 1 Cup Onion Chopped
- 2 Cups Celery Chopped
- 2 Cups Carrot Chopped
- 6 Ounces Tomato Paste Italian
- 5 Cups Chicken Broth Low-Sodium
- 1 Teaspoon Marjoram
- 1 Teaspoon Thyme
- ½ Teaspoon Italian
- 2 Bay Leaves
- Salt and Pepper To taste
Instructions
Prep Beans
- If using dry beans, soak for 24 hours in 6-8 cups of water.
- After 24 hours, rinse beans. Add to a large pot with fresh water. Bring to a boil then simmer until tender.
- Oncer desired tenderness level is achieved strain the water and set the beans aside.
Making the Soup
- Chop onion, celery, and carrots. Set aside.
- Warm heat to medium. Add olive oil, garlic, onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until celery and carrots are tender.
- Add in beans, tomato paste, chicken broth, marjoram, thyme, Italian, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Use the immersion blender to blend until half is blended.
- Allow soup to simmer and flavors to develop. Add bay leaves during last 5-10 minutes.
- Remove bay leaves and enjoy!
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 4 day.
- Nutrition Facts are calculated using USDA’s FoodData Central database. Exact nutrition may vary.
- Nutrition Facts are based on about a 2 cup serving.
Nutrition
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