Banger Tuscan bean soup

03 Nov, 2026

Ingredients

• Reasonable amount of olive oil
• 1.5 kg mirepoix (chopped onions, carrots, celery)
• 2 tbsp ish of minced garlic
• 2/3 cup of white wine (cheapest pinot grigio available)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 5x 19oz cans of beans
  • 2x white navy beans
  • 1x white kidney beans
  • 1x red kidney beans
  • 1x fava beans
• 3x 900ml box of low-sodium chicken broth
• Red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt to taste
• 300g / 11oz box of baby spinach

Prep

• Assemble mirepoix: chop onions, carrots, and celery at desired ratio. Or buy pre-mixed mirepoix
• Wash and de-stem spinach
• Wash, de-stem, and chop mushrooms
• Rinse beans

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot, sauté mirepoix in olive oil until bits begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. This may take awhile if the mirepoix is frozen; the juices must be boiled off
2. Add minced garlic and spices, mix, and sauté for another few minutes
3. Move the sautéd mirepoix from the soup pot into a bowl
4. In the soup pot, sauté mushrooms more olive oil. When done, move the mushrooms (but not the juices) to the bowl
5. In the soup pot, sauté the tomato paste in the remaining oil and mushroom juices until it begins to brown and stick to the bottom of the pot
6. Add a few cups of sautéd mirepoix / mushrooms to the soup pot and mix it in with the tomato paste. Once mixed, add the remaining mirepoix / mushrooms and mix thoroughly
7. Deglaze with the white wine; sauté until the smell of alcohol is gone
8. Add the broth, mix evenly, then add the beans
9. Bring to a boil, then add salt and simmer for another 15 minutes or whatever
10. Remove heat, mix in the spinach. Serve.

Notes

More spinach can be added. The amount that spinach wilts down is crazy.

Good garnishes: Parmesan cheese, green onions, croutons