Carrot and Butterbean Soup

This recipe is from our community cookbook, where neighbors share their most trusted home-cooked meals.

This Carrot & Butterbean Soup is a nourishing dish that balances a smooth, puréed base with the hearty texture of whole beans and diced vegetables. It's simple to prepare and deeply satisfying.

Ingredients:

• 6 lg. carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
• 2 med. russet or red potatoes, peeled and diced
• 17 oz. vegetable stock 
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• 7 oz. butterbeans, dry (or 16 oz. can of butterbeans, rinsed and drained)
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Soften butterbeans according to package directions if using dry beans. 
2. In a large pot, lightly fry onion and garlic until softened. 
3. Add the stock, vegetables, spices, and parsley to the onion and garlic, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes  have cooked through. 
4. Allow the soup to cool slightly and purée 2/3 of the soup. 
5. Add the blended soup to the remaining vegetables, and add the butterbeans and tomato paste. 
6. Mix well. 
7. Garnish with parsley and serve. 

Recipe adapted from grouprecipes.com. This dish is Kosher and vegetarian.