This creamy salsa verde white bean soup is hearty and packed with blistered chili peppers, lots of garlic, and fresh herbs. The perfect dippable soup to keep you cozy.
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Salsa Verde Soup
- Salsas add flavor and nutrition. Salsas as far as we are concerned are just veggie smoothies often with a little spice. And since those salsas often also contain a blend of herbs you’re also packing in quite a number of antioxidants. So if you struggle with veggies, salsas can help!
- Rich and flavorful without nuts or cream. We can still get that same richness by creating an emulsion with oil, no dairy required!
- Budget friendly. This soup focuses on affordable vegetables and beans. No nuts required for the creaminess, which also helps keep this affordable.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beans: I love cannellini beans for their creaminess, but butter beans or chickpeas can work really well here.
- Tomatillos: They help add a distinct taste to the soup as they are much tangier in taste. Tomatillos have become a little more common to find at local grocery stores. Choose ones that have a loose husks surrounding them as they will be much easier to peel. You also want to make sure they are firm. When peeled, the surface will feel slightly sticky, so make sure to rinse well before chopping.
- Peppers: This soup uses a green bell pepper in the soup base and both jalapeño and serrano for the salsa portion. If you are sensitive to heat, I recommend just using 1 deseeded jalapeño with membranes removed along with 1/2 a small green bell pepper.
- Onion: I used a yellow onion, but white onions or shallots can work well here.
- Cilantro: This herb will make the most sense for the salsa variety, but if you struggle with the taste of cilantro, consider alternative herbs like parsley and chives.
- Thyme: Fresh is recommended, but using 1 tsp dry thyme can work here.
- Spices: I used a combination of oregano and coriander. Adjust if desired. Also, don’t skip the bay leaf.
- Broth: For the best quality broth, I would encourage you use Better Than Bouillon (I like the veggie or vegan “chicken” base for this soup) and reconstitute as needed for the soup.
- Oil: Our emulsifier. I tend to use either olive oil or avocado oil. Try to use an oil that is high heat and rather neutral in flavor.
How to Make Creamy Salsa Verde Soup with White Beans
Prep your veggies: Dice 3/4 of the onion and mince 5 garlic cloves. Peel off and discard the husk of the tomatillos, then cut into wedges.
Cook aromatics: Sauté the diced onion, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt in a Dutch oven until softened and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and continue cooking for about 2 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic, oregano, and coriander, and continue sautéing until fragrant.
Build the soup base and simmer: Add the tomatillos, sautéing until they turn a brighter green and begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the beans, vegetable broth, and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
Prepare the salsa: Roughly chop up the remaining 1/4 onion, lightly crush 5 garlic cloves with the flat of your knife, and roughly chop the pepper. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a small sauce pan then add the chopped onions, peppers, and garlic. Cook for 4 minutes or until the garlic and onion are tender and golden. Transfer the cooked veggies and oil to a blender cup. Add the cilantro, a generous pinch of salt, ice, and 3 tbsp of water. Blend on high until thick and smooth.
Combine the blended salsa and soup: Stir in the blended salsa. For a thicker texture, use the back of a ladle or cooking spoon to lightly mash some of the beans (or use the same blender cup to blend up some of the beans from the pot).
Serving ideas: Divide the soup between bowls when ready to enjoy then feel free to top as desired. I used a few slices of avocado, extra cilantro, and a side of tostones for dipping into the soup.
Expert Tips
- Don’t swap the tomatillos. They have a unique taste that can’t be replicated with green tomatoes. Check your grocery store or local Latin markets to find these gems.
- Adjust the consistency with more or less broth. I like to start with 3 cups of broth and then add additional broth as needed after it has cooked. If you accidentally add too much, blend up a portion of the soup with an immersion blender until thickened.
- Reduce the spice. If you prefer a less spicy soup, use half a small green bell pepper plus 1 jalapeño and remove the seeds and membranes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! The soup might lose some of its vibrancy when frozen, but will still be delicious. When freezing, it is helpful to freeze into smaller portions that way you can pull out the exact amount you want to use up. I find this easiest to do by using Souper Cubes to portion the soup into 2 cup portions.
Allow soup to cool then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Major note, changing the cilantro will obviously change the intended flavor of the soup, but you can try this with other herbs you may like better. For a more neutral flavor, consider a mix of chives and parsley.
Make It Balanced
When prepared as written, this soup provides both protein and complex carbohydrates from the beans, healthy fats from the salsa, and antioxidants from the vegetables in both the salsa and soup. For extra protein, consider topping your bowls with some marinated tofu. And if you need something to dip into your soup, I highly recommend some crispy baked tostones or some tortilla chips.
More Soups to Keep You Cozy
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Description
This creamy salsa verde white bean soup is hearty and packed with blistered chili peppers, lots of garlic, and fresh herbs. The perfect dippable soup to keep you cozy.
- Dice 3/4 of the onion and mince 5 garlic cloves. Peel off and discard the husk of the tomatillos, then cut into wedges.
- Heat 1-2 tbsp of oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt. Sauté until softened and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and continue cooking for about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the oregano and coriander, and continue sautéing for 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatillos, sautéing until they turn a brighter green and begin to soften, about 4 minutes. From here, add the beans, vegetable broth, and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 20 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, prepare the salsa. Roughly chop the remaining 1/4 onion, lightly crush 5 garlic cloves with the flat of your knife, and roughly chop the pepper.
- Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Add the onions, peppers, and garlic, and allow to cook for about 4 minutes or until the garlic and onion are looking tender and golden. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Transfer the cooked veggies and oil to a blender cup. Add the cilantro, a generous pinch of salt, ice, and 3 tbsp of water. Blend on high until thick and smooth.
- Once the soup base is done, remove from heat and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf, then stir in the blended salsa. For a thicker texture, use the back of a ladle or cooking spoon to lightly mash some of the beans (or use the same blender cup to blend up some of the beans from the pot).
- Divide the soup between bowls when ready to enjoy then feel free to top as desired. I used a few slices of avocado, extra cilantro, and a side of tostones for dipping into the soup.
Notes
Don’t swap the tomatillos. They have a unique taste that can’t be replicated with green tomatoes. Check your grocery store or local Latin markets to find these gems.
Adjust the consistency with more or less broth. I like to start with 3 cups of broth and then add additional broth as needed after it has cooked. If you accidentally add too much, blend up a portion of the soup with an immersion blender until thickened.
Reduce the spice. If you prefer a less spicy soup, use half a small green bell pepper plus 1 jalapeño and remove the seeds and membranes.
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