Fagioli Soup (a.k.a bean soup), is a hearty and healthy bean broth, rich in flavor and extremely adaptable that is perfect for a warm winter meal on cold days!
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You may recognize the name Pasta e Fagioli as the popular Italian soup on the Olive Garden menu but the real, authentic root of Pasta e Fagioli is Fagioli soup.
Fagioli soup is a hearty soup made with incredibly simple ingredients. White cannellini beans are slow-cooked with cherry tomatoes and finished with basil. As the white beans and tomatoes cook, they create a broth that is rich and full of flavor.
The best part of this traditional Italian soup is how versatile it is. It can be enjoyed as is for a super low-cost meal, or you can dress it up with ground beef, pork, and a wide variety of vegetables.
This recipe comes from my friend Mariska Ramondino from Mychefsapron, and I am so happy to share with you a classic yet versatile Italian recipe from her kitchen!
Recipe Origin
This fagioli soup recipe is authentic Italian food, likely invented by peasants in the countryside. This classic Italian soup goes by many names including pasta fazool, pasta fasul, pasta fah-jolie, pasta soup, and pasta e fagioli.
Beans and tomatoes are widely available in Italy and combined they provide families with a filling dish that provides enough energy to sustain a person as they work all day long.
There are many different variations of this popular white bean soup. It can be a super simple dish made with just four ingredients or dressed up with a wide variety of vegetables and meat.
Why Make This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: The base of this white bean soup is really just four ingredients that you can pick up at your local grocery store.
- Affordable Meal: If you are looking to save money but still eat well, this dish is one to try! It is full of rich flavor, simple ingredients and plenty of nutrients to keep your body moving.
- Taste of Italy: This is authentic Italian peasant food. It’s a classic comfort food dish many people grow up on.
What Do I Need To Make This Recipe
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Dried White Cannellini Beans or Great Northern Beans: Cannellini Beans are more popular in Italy, but in US grocery stores it is easier to find dried Great Northern Beans. Either will work. It’s best to use dried beans rather than canned. As they cook they add a great richness to the broth.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic cloves! This adds to the taste of the fagioli soup so much.
- Small Red Cherry Tomatoes: I prefer these over grape tomatoes as they are much sweeter.
- Fresh Basil: Cut into strips.
Tools
- Large Soup Pot or Dutch oven
- Saute Pan
How to Make This Recipe
Step One: Soak the Beans
Soak the beans overnight in a large bowl with enough water to cover them.
When ready to make the soup, drain the beans and discard the water in which they were soaked.
Step Two: Boil the Beans
Place the beans in a large pot and cover them completely with fresh water (about 6 cups). Cover the pot and set the heat to medium-high to bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low or low to maintain a steady simmer.
Partially cover the pot and cook for about 45 minutes or until soft. Skim off any foam that appears. Check the beans occasionally and add a little fresh water if too much boils away (I ended up adding about 1 cup at a time, 3 separate times). The beans should stay covered with water.
When about 45 minutes have passed and the beans have begun to soften, season well with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Continue to gently cook the beans and further soften them while preparing the tomatoes.
Step Three: Prepare the Tomatoes
Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with 1 tbsp olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, or until the garlic releases its aroma, but does not brown.
Toss in the cherry tomatoes and season with ¼ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp black pepper. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. After simmering, stir in fresh basil.
Step Four: Assemble and Serve
Pour the tomatoes and their juices into the beans. Add an additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the soup for a richer texture. Stir well and let the soup gently simmer for 5 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Turn off the heat, and let it rest on the stove for a couple of minutes, covered, to thicken a little.
Variations
You’ll find recipes for this fagioli soup all over the place and not one is the same. Most are more similar to minestrone soup. I love the versatility of this dish. You can enjoy it just as it is or dress it up any way you like.
- The most popular addition is pasta. Traditionally you would add ditalini pasta, a short tube-shaped pasta, but any small pasta will do. The smaller the better so you can get a bit of tender pasta in each bite of hearty Italian soup.
- You can also add a wide variety of vegetables to this white bean soup. Many restaurants add carrots, celery and yellow onion. You can also add swiss chard and other leafy greens. If you decide to add greens I recommend adding them near the end because they soften quickly.
- This white bean soup is also delicious with some added protein. Mariska recommends adding some pieces of pan-fried pork chops. Pan-fry thin bone-in center-cut pork chops in some olive oil over medium heat on both sides for three to five minutes (depending on the thickness of the chops). When the meat cooks through and turns golden brown, place individually in the center of soup plates. Serve with a soup ladle of warmed Fagioli on top.
- You can also easily add some cooked lean ground beef, Italian sausage, ground turkey or ground pork for some added flavor.
- You could also try this fagioli soup recipe with different types of beans like great northern beans, navy beans or even red kidney beans.
- Feel free to season your creamy beans with red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and fresh herbs.
Expert Tips
- You can make this white bean soup with canned beans if you want to make it a little quicker, but the flavor of freshly cooked beans really does make a difference. You could also cook your beans in an instant pot or crock pot to achieve the same flavor with less effort.
- If you do decide to add pasta to your fagioli soup, be aware that the texture of the pasta will change if the soup is saved for leftovers. It may be a good idea to add pasta just to each individual bowl so you can ensure you are getting the texture you want and you can reheat leftovers without any compromises!
How to Store Leftovers
This is a great soup to make a large batch of and enjoy throughout the week. Store the bean broth in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freeze for up to three months.
To reheat your fagioli soup, add some olive oil, salt, and parmesan cheese.
Heating Up Leftovers
When the broth is reheated it may become thicker and heartier. If you prefer a thinner white bean soup try adding some vegetable broth, chicken broth, tomato sauce or canned tomatoes.
Did you enjoy this Fagioli Soup Recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
- White Bean Chicken Chili in the Instant Pot
- Creamy Vegetable Soup
- Vegetarian Borscht Recipe
- French Onion Soup (Stovetop Version)
Fagioli Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried Great Northern Beans , or white cannellini beans
- Salt and black pepper , to taste
- 3 tbsp Olive oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 pound red cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 3 leaves fresh basil , shredded
Instructions
- Soak a pound of beans overnight in a large bowl with enough water to cover them.
- When ready to make the soup, drain the beans and discard the water in which they were soaked.
- Place the beans in a large pot and cover them completely with fresh water (about 6 cups). Cover the pot and set the heat to medium-high to bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low or low to maintain a steady simmer.
- Partially cover the pot and cook for about 45 minutes or until soft. Skim off any foam that appears. Check the beans occasionally and add a little fresh water if too much boils away (I ended up adding about 1 cup at a time, 3 separate times). The beans should stay covered with water.
- When about 45 minutes have passed and the beans have begun to soften, season well with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Continue to gently cook the beans and further soften them while preparing the tomatoes.
- Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with 1 tbsp olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add 3 cloves garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, or until the garlic releases its aroma, but does not brown.
- Toss in the pound of cherry tomatoes and season with ¼ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp black pepper. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. At the end of simmer time, stir in fresh basil.
- Pour the tomatoes and their juices into the beans. Add an additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the soup for a richer texture. Stir well and let the soup gently simmer for 5 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
- Turn off the heat, and let it rest on the stove for a couple of minutes, covered, to thicken a little.
Notes
- Dried White Cannellini Beans or Great Northern Beans: Cannellini Beans are more popular in Italy, but in US grocery stores it is easier to find dried Great Northern Beans. Either will work. It’s best to use dried beans rather than canned. As they cook they add a great richness to the broth.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic cloves! This adds to the taste so much.
- Small Red Cherry Tomatoes: I prefer these over grape tomatoes as they are much sweeter.
- Fresh Basil: Cut into strips.
- You can make this soup with canned beans, if you want to make it a little quicker, but the flavor of freshly cooked beans really does make a difference. You could also cook your beans in an instant pot or crock pot to achieve the same flavor with less effort.
- If you do decide to add pasta, be aware that the texture of the pasta will change if the soup is saved for leftovers. It may be a good idea to add pasta just to each individual bowl so you can ensure you are getting the texture you want and you can reheat leftovers without any compromises!
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