1 18 ounce jar diced tomatoes with juice (I like Jovial)
1 pound dried cranberry beans
Large piece of rind from a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (if you have it)
8 cups of water (or homemade chicken or vegetable stock)
3 cups baby spinach leaves or chopped Swiss chard leaves
2 teaspoons sea salt or more if using unsalted stock or water
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sliced basil leaves or pesto for garnish (optional)
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino-Romano cheese (optional)
Steps
Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large pot and add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook until vegetables have softened and the onions are tender and translucent, about 8 minutes.
Add the tomatoes with the juice and cook for 5 more minutes, until the tomatoes are fragrant.
Add the drained beans, Parmesan rind and water or stock (do NOT add salt here) and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered for 1 hour, or until the beans are tender. Softening the beans can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, depending on the age of the beans.
Once the beans are softened, add the spinach and stir until wilted.
Add the salt and pepper and taste for seasoning. Top with sliced basil leaves or pesto and grated cheese (if desired).
Reviews
deborah Davis on 2026-05-18 (5 stars): soup was very good
Elnodi on 2024-03-20 (5 stars): Hello
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Kerry on 2023-11-07 (4 stars): I soaked the beans overnight and then cooked for two hours and the beans are still a bit chewy. Any suggestions?
Mary on 2021-10-26 (5 stars): Wonderful recipe! I use vegetable broth (Better than Bouillon) and Muir Glen Fire Roasted tomatoes and typically make 1.5 times the recipe so there's plenty for leftovers. Thank you!
Mary Fran on 2020-07-09 (5 stars): Discovered this recipe when I bought some cranberry beans and needed to figure out what to do with them. They were in a carton so I modified the portions. It was incredibly delicious and the hubs and I ate it down to the last drop. I’m looking to add more meatless options to our dinner rotation so this is perfect. It all comes together magically. I am anxious to try again. I found the beans in cartons at Imperfect Produce. Just lovely and it makes you feel good eating it!
