Carrot Butter Bean Soup (Print Version)
Comforting soup with sweet carrots, creamy butter beans, and savory broth for any season.
# Ingredient List:
→ Vegetables
01 - 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
04 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1 small leek, white and light green parts sliced (optional)
→ Beans & Broth
06 - 2 cans (14 oz each) butter beans, drained and rinsed
07 - 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
→ Herbs & Seasonings
09 - 1 bay leaf
10 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves)
11 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
12 - ¾ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
13 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
→ Garnishes
14 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
15 - Zest of ½ lemon
16 - Freshly ground black pepper
# Directions:
01 - Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, leeks if using, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened but not taken on any color.
02 - Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring to prevent scorching.
03 - Stir in the drained butter beans, bay leaf, dried thyme, and smoked paprika if using. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper, and toss gently to coat everything evenly.
04 - Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes until the carrots are fork-tender.
05 - Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste the broth and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Finish each portion with chopped fresh parsley, lemon zest, and a generous crack of black pepper.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It comes together with basic pantry staples and practically cooks itself while you tidy the kitchen.
- The broth alone is worth making this for, deeply savory with a subtle sweetness from the carrots that makes you want to drink it from a mug.
02 -
- If you add the garlic too early it will burn and turn bitter, so always toss it in after the other vegetables have already softened.
- Discard the bay leaf before serving because biting into one is an unpleasant surprise that can ruin an otherwise perfect bowl.
03 -
- If you have extra time, let the soup sit off the heat for twenty minutes before serving, because the flavors settle and deepen in a way that immediate serving never achieves.
- A squeeze of fresh lemon juice right at the end, just a splash, brightens the entire pot and makes the broth taste lighter and more vibrant.