Carrot Butter Bean Soup (Print Layout)
A light, nourishing soup with sweet carrots, creamy butter beans, and savory vegetable broth.
# What You Need:
→ 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 tbsp olive oil
→ Herbs & Seasonings
09 - 1 bay leaf
10 - 1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves)
11 - ½ tsp ground black pepper
12 - ¾ tsp sea salt (more to taste)
13 - ½ tsp smoked paprika (optional)
→ Garnishes
14 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
15 - Zest of ½ lemon
16 - Freshly ground black pepper
# Directions:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, leek if using, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened but not browned.
02 - Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
03 - Stir in the drained butter beans, bay leaf, dried thyme, and smoked paprika if using. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper, tossing 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 salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Top each serving with chopped fresh parsley, lemon zest, and an extra crack of black pepper. Serve immediately.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The broth tastes like it simmered all day but you barely need 45 minutes from chopping to bowl.
- Butter beans turn velvety and rich without a drop of cream, so it feels indulgent while staying light.
- It freezes beautifully, which means you can double it on a Sunday and have dinner sorted for a rainy Tuesday.
02 -
- Do not let the soup come to a rolling boil after adding the beans, because vigorous boiling breaks them into cloudy sludge instead of keeping them creamy and whole.
- If the broth tastes flat right after simmering, it probably just needs more salt, and you should add it in small pinches, tasting each time, until the carrot sweetness suddenly blooms on your tongue.
03 -
- Slice the carrots into uniform rounds about a quarter inch thick so they all finish cooking at the same time and you never bite into a hard piece alongside a mushy one.
- Use a ladle to skim off any foam that rises in the first few minutes of simmering, because that small step keeps the broth crystal clear and the flavor clean.