This vegan, Mediterranean white bean soup has a creamy, lemony, tahini and harissa broth. Filled with kale and parsley, this white bean soup makes a hearty meal and is perfect when served with crusty bread.
If like me, your pantry is completely stocked with all kinds of dry and canned beans and you are wondering what to do with them, then I have you covered with this delicious recipe. And if your pantry isn't stocked with all the goods, check out my vegan pantry staples guide, complete with a printable shopping list!
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this heart vegan Mediterranean white bean soup. The base is made from onions, carrots, a little bit of bell pepper, and garlic, sautéed in olive oil until fragrant.
Creamy white beans and kale make up the bulk of the soup, and we mix harissa into in a lemon tahini sauce for heat, depth of flavor, and added creaminess. Being of Middle Eastern descent, I am definitely a tahini purist. It is important to use a smooth, rich tahini, like the Palestinian brand Ziyad. This creamy soup is finished off with a couple sprigs of thyme for more herby goodness.
If you don't have all of the ingredients, simply substitute with what you have on hand. For example, you can substitute chickpeas for white beans, or spinach for kale. You can also add cilantro if you don't have parsley.
I love to serve this soup with crusty bread to soak up all the flavors, but for a heartier meal, you can even add in some pasta to make it more of a Mediterranean minestrone. If you love brothy, bean-based soups like this, try my balila recipe, a simple bowl of chickpeas simmered in a lemony, garlicky, cumin-spiced broth that's also perfect for scooping with bread.
This white bean soup is vegan, gluten-free, and nutritious. It's packed with protein from the beans, as well as iron from the leafy kale greens. It could also easily be adapted to cook in an instant pot or pressure cooker, so you can let the flavors simmer and develop as you attend to other tasks.
I love to top this soup with a garnish of parsley or thyme, or a drizzle of olive oil with a little bit of harissa mixed into it.
Recipe
Mediterranean White Bean Soup with Harissa & Tahini (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked white beans about 1 cup dry beans, soaked
- 4 cups kale leaves loosely packed (1 small bunch)
- ½ onion diced
- ⅓ bell pepper or 2 small sweet peppers diced (I like orange or red)
- ¾ cup carrot diced (about 1 carrot)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup parsley leaves
- ½ cup tahini
- 4 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoon harissa
- 1 teaspoon salt
- cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Sauté onion, carrots, and bell pepper in oil, until the onion becomes transparent and fragrant. Then add in garlic and sauté for 2 more mins. Add in cooked or soaked white beans along with vegetable broth (if you use soaked beans, add a couple more cups of liquid.)
- Meanwhile, whisk the tahini, 3 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ cup water, and harissa in a small bowl, until smooth.
- Simmer the beans until they are tender. This took me about 45 mins using soaked dry beans. Take care to make sure the liquid stays a couple inches above the beans (add in some more vegetable broth or water as needed).
- For added creaminess (optional), remove 3 cups of soup and blend until smooth, then return the mixture to the pot.
- Add in kale leaves, thyme, and tahini-harissa mixture, and simmer until fragrant, 10-15 more mins.
- Before removing from heat, stir in parsley leaves, 1 tablespoon of lemon, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for a couple mins and then remove the thyme sprig. If desired, top with a drizzle of olive oil with a small bit of harissa mixed in, as well as parsley or thyme leaves. Enjoy!
Sarah says
Hi Zena,
We made this for dinner this evening. It was delicious! The only change we made was more Harissa because we love spice. I'm looking forward to lunch leftovers tomorrow. Thank you very much for a great recipe.
Sarah from Toronto
Sarah says
Hi Zena,
We made this for dinner this evening. It was delicious! The only change we made was more Harissa because we love spice. I'm looking forward to lunch leftovers tomorrow. Thank you very much for a great recipe.
Sarah from Toronto
linda says
I saw this when you first posted it and thought looks great but tahini?? With harissa?? So I had to make it even though I had just had wrist surgery and needed some help. I am so glad I did. It is the best soup I have ever made or eaten!! I did add extra harissa. Every time I make it, I go “this is really SO good!!” I cannot thank you enough.
CJ says
An absolute smash hit in my household! I didn't have carrots so I just omitted those, and it still tasted amazing! Even my mom, who avoids vegan food like the plague (we're working on it), cleaned her plate. Will definitely be adding this to my list of best recipes. Thank you, Zena!
Zena Hassoun says
Thanks so much for the glowing review, CJ! My goal is to make food that even non-vegans love, so I'm so happy your mom loved it! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
linda e says
I wrote a comment a few years ago about this because it is so good. It is still my favorite soup. AND the only recipe where my soup is just like the photos. I’ve even given the recipe to strangers in the supermarket.
Zena Hassoun says
Aw Linda you just made my week! 🥹❤️ The fact that it's still your favorite soup is seriously the highest compliment, and I'm so touched that you even gave it to strangers at the supermarket! Thanks so much for coming back to tell me and leaving another glowing review. I appreciate you!