Carrot Butter Bean Soup (Print Version)
A comforting soup with sweet carrots, creamy butter beans, and savory vegetable broth for any season.
# What You'll 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
# Steps:
01 - Heat the 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 have softened without taking on any color.
02 - Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to let it brown.
03 - Add the drained butter beans, bay leaf, dried thyme, and smoked paprika if using. Season with sea salt and black pepper, then stir 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. Top each serving with chopped fresh parsley, a pinch of lemon zest, and a generous crack of black pepper.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It comes together in under an hour with ingredients you probably already have hiding in your pantry.
- The broth is light enough for summer yet deeply satisfying when the weather turns cold.
- Butter beans give it a creamy richness without a single drop of actual cream.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day, which makes it perfect for lazy meal prep.
02 -
- Throwing a Parmesan rind into the broth while it simmers adds incredible savory depth, just remember to fish it out before serving and skip this if you are keeping it vegan.
- Mashing about a quarter of the beans against the side of the pot with your spoon gives the broth a naturally creamy body without any blending required.
- Store bought broths vary wildly in salt content so always taste before adding any extra salt at the end.
03 -
- Slice your carrots on a slight diagonal about a quarter inch thick, they cook evenly that way and look far more elegant than rough chopped rounds.
- The lemon zest garnish is not optional, it is the single thing that transforms this from a good vegetable soup into something people will actually ask you to make again.