Learn how to make the BEST 15 Bean Soup! This delicious Mixed Bean Soup is super delicious, thick, and hearty. It's total comfort food that's actually good for you, plus it's vegetarian and vegan friendly!
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Ginnie's Take
Winter is here, and it feels like it. We even got some rare snow in Dallas this weekend! While it wasn't a snow storm (more of a light dusting which melted immediately, ha), I for one was super excited. And I celebrating by getting out my soup pot to make my favorite bean soup. This yummy 15 Bean Soup is the perfect recipe for a chilly day. It's easy to make, super thick, packed with hearty beans and healthy veggies, and it will stick to your ribs. Total comfort food!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Yummy Flavor - If you're a bean lover, you won't want to miss this recipe! It's loaded with beans and has such an amazing, smokey flavor! The recipe is also totally meatless, but don't have to be vegetarian or vegan to enjoy it. It's so hearty that even meat lovers will love it (as my husband will attest)!
- Affordable - This tasty Mixed Bean Soup is super thrifty and budget-friendly. Beans are cheap! It's one of those classic recipes that was invented due to necessity, and it's a great way to use up bits and bobs of leftover dried beans.
- Nutritious - Beans are a great source of fiber and plant based protein. This hearty soup is one of those rare recipes that's good for you, but it will also fill you up (and keep you full).
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Ingredients
This easy vegetarian soup uses basic, inexpensive ingredients that you can find in any grocery stores. Here's what you'll need:
- Beans - To keep things simple, this recipe calls for a 15 Bean Soup Mix, although you can use your own blend of dried beans, too. The most common brand I've seen is Hurst's HamBeens (which is what I used). Don't worry if you're vegetarian or vegan, it doesn't actually contain ham!
- Veggies - A combo of onion, celery, carrots, and fresh garlic, along with a can of diced tomatoes, give the soup a delicious flavor.
- Herbs + Spices - You'll use smoked paprika (which adds a wonderful smokey flavor), crushed red pepper flakes, and dried thyme, basil, oregano, and bay leaves to season the soup as it cooks. Then, just before serving you'll stir in fresh parsley for a pop of fresh flavor.
- Olive Oil - Extra virgin olive oil is used to sauté the veggies.
- Lemon - A little fresh lemon juice brightens all the other flavors.
This recipe is a naturally vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, gluten free, and nut free.
You'll Also Need
You'll need a sharp knife to prep the veggies, and a large dutch oven (or soup pot) to cook the soup. This nonstick dutch oven is my fave!
How to Make 15 Bean Soup
This hearty Dried Bean Soup is super simple to make! Don't let the long cook time put you off, because it's mostly hands off time while the beans cook. You'll find a detailed recipe card at this end of the article, but here's an overview of the steps:
- Soak the beans. Soaking the beans helps them cook faster and more evenly with fewer split or broken beans. If you forget to soak the beans, no problem. You'll just need to cook the soup a bit longer and may need extra water.
- Saute the veggies + add spices. Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil in a large dutch oven or soup pot. When the onions start to turn translucent, add the garlic, smoked paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook this mixture, stirring constantly, until the garlic and paprika are fragrant.
- Add the beans, herbs, and diced tomatoes.
- Stir in the water. After you add the water, stir everything together really well, and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, then cover the pot partially, and cook the soup until the beans are tender (stirring occasionally). It should take about one-and-a-half to two hours. If the soup gets too dry as it cooks, just add a little extra water.
- Finish the soup. Once the beans are tender, you'll season the soup really generously with salt and pepper, and stir in chopped parsley and fresh lemon juice. The fresh herbs and bright, acidic lemon juice really brighten up the flavors of this long-simmering soup. If you're out of lemon juice, try adding a splash of vinegar instead.
And that's it ... your delicious and hearty Vegetarian 15 Bean Soup is ready to eat!
Variations
This Mixed Bean Soup recipe is pretty flexible! Here are a few variations to try:
- Beans - You can substitute any combination of dried mixed beans. Buy a few different varieties to create your own mix, or substitute another bean mix (such as 16 bean, 12 bean, 7 bean, etc.). Just keep in mind that you'll need 20-ounces of beans for this recipe, which is about four cups dried beans.
- Spices - It's to change up the seasonings to create a different flavor profile! Cajun spice is a popular flavoring, or you could in a chili direction by adding chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Italian seasoning would also be delish!
- Spicy - If you like spicy food, feel free to add extra crushed red pepper. You could also add a jalapeño (or another hot pepper) when cooking the veggies. Smokey chipotle peppers would also be delish.
- Veggie Meats - If you want to add a meaty component, but still keep this recipe vegan, try adding some veg Italian sausage (I like Field Roast or Tofurky). For the best texture, I'd recommend sautéing the sausage separately, then adding it towards the end (about half an hour before the beans are done cooking).
- Vegetables - And of course, you can add other veggies, like bell peppers, collard greens, kale, etc. Just keep in mind the long cooking time. Anything other than tough root vegetables should be added within the last 30 to 45 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
This soup makes a hearty one-dish meal, but it pairs great with other foods, too! I like serving it with a light salad, like this Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad, Massaged Kale Salad, or this Quick Chopped Salad. It's also delicious with crusty bread for dipping. Try it with my Beer Bread or my favorite homemade Garlic Bread (or even better, Cheesy Garlic Bread). Yum!
Storage
If you have leftover veggie Bean Soup, store it in an airtight container in your refrigerator, where it will stay fresh for up to four days. The soup can also be frozen in an airtight container, and it will keep for a couple months. If you freeze individual servings (these Souper cubes are perfect for that!), you'll have a quick healthy meal on hand for busy days.
Related Recipes
Are you looking for more mouthwatering soup ideas? Then you'll love these recipes, too:
- Craving stew? Try my cozy Vegetable Stew or this delish Vegan Irish Stew!
- Classic Minestrone Soup is always a dinnertime hit.
- This Creamy Kale and Potato Soup is so cozy on a cold day!
- If you a dumpling fan, this Quick Asian Dumpling Soup is for you. It couldn't be easier to make!
- Looking for other hearty veggie soups? Try my Mushroom Barley Soup and Easy Lentil Soup recipes next!
- This scrumptious Vegetable Soup is loaded with healthy veggies.
- For a comfort food option, this decadent Beer Cheese Soup can't be beat!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, 15 Bean Soup is good for you. Beans are an excellent source of protein and fiber, which means this soup will fill you up and keep you full. They contain other important vitamins and minerals, as well. This soup is also loaded with fresh veggies, and it's vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, and gluten free, so pretty much anyone can enjoy it.
The beans in 15 bean soup mixes vary from brand to brand. They typically contain a mixture of lentils, pint beans, white beans (such as Great Northern or Navy), lima beans, yellow eye beans, black eyed peas, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), green or yellow split peas, whole green peas, cranberry beans, red beans, pink beans, black beans, and red or white kidney beans.
Dried beans can take anywhere from one to three hours to cook, depending on a number of factors. The fresher your beans are, the faster they will cook. Soaking the beans also helps them cook quicker (and more evenly). For this recipe, the beans should take about one-and-a-half to two hours to become tender.
You'll know beans are done cooking when they're firm, but tender (not mushy or falling apart). The best way to test them is by tasting a few beans. Start doing this before the beans should be done cooking (so for this recipe, at about an hour and fifteen minutes). That will help you gauge how much longer the beans have to go.
Soaking beans helps them cook faster and move evenly. However, if you forget, you can soak the beans for less time or skip soaking altogether. They'll just take longer to cook, and you'll probably need to add more water.
15 Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 (20-ounce / 567 gram) package
15 Bean Soup Mix (or 4 cups of mixed beans) - 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 large carrots, sliced ½-inch thick
- 2 large stalks celery, sliced ½-inch thick
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon
smoked paprika - ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 (14.5-ounce / 411 gram) can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- ⅓ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ½ lemon, juiced
- kosher salt
- pepper
Equipment
- Dutch Oven (or Large Soup Pot)
Instructions
Soak Beans:
- Place beans in a large bowl and pick over, removing any clumps of dirt or small stones.
- Add enough water so that there's a couple inches of water above the beans. Let soak 8 hours or overnight.
- Drain beans, then rinse with fresh water. Set aside.
Prepare Soup:
- Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat.
- Add onions, carrots, and celery. Lightly season with salt and pepper, then cook until onions start to turn translucent, stirring frequently (about 5 to 7 minutes).
- Stir garlic, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes into veggies. Cook for 1 minute, or until veggies are well-coated and fragrant, stirring constantly.
- Add beans, 8 cups water, diced tomatoes, thyme, basil, oregano, and bay leaves to veggies.
- Bring soup to a boil, then partially cover pot and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook soup for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more water if soup becomes too dry.
- Stir parsley and lemon juice into soup, then season very generously with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve soup hot. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
When you cannot beans overnight, you can bring the beans to a boil for one minute, and let them sit for an hour in the hot water. Then drain the beans, and start over with fresh water.
Thanks for sharing the tip, Dave! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Is this really 295 kCal per serving??
Hi, Megan! Calories are approximate, but should be close. They'll vary depending on the exact brands you use, size of veggies, etc. If you want a more exact answer, measure everything out and plug them into a calorie calculator (I use the one from SparkRecipes). Hope that helps!