Brothy Carrot Butter Bean Soup (Printer-Friendly)
A light, nourishing bowl 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
# How-To Steps:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, leek (if using), celery, and carrots. Sauté for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened but not browned.
02 - Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring to prevent burning.
03 - Stir in the drained butter beans, bay leaf, dried thyme, and smoked paprika (if using). Season with sea salt and 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 18–20 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. Finish each serving with chopped fresh parsley, lemon zest, and an extra crack of black pepper.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It comes together in under an hour with ingredients you probably already have hiding in your kitchen.
- The butter beans turn velvety and luxurious without a drop of cream.
- It freezes beautifully, so you can stash away a batch for those nights when cooking feels impossible.
02 -
- If you add the garlic too early it will burn and turn bitter, so always follow the onions, never lead with it.
- Tasting the broth before and after simmering is the difference between a flat soup and one that sings.
03 -
- Slice your carrots to a uniform thickness so every spoonful has the same tender bite instead of a mix of mushy and crunchy.
- A strip of lemon zest stirred into the broth during simmering and removed before serving adds brightness that most people will notice but never be able to identify.