Easy-Peasy Butterbean-y Soup

There are rules in our kitchen, folks. Since I started this blog, the number one rule is we don't eat anything unless it's been photographed step-by-step. That way, if we make a winner, I have the blog post halfway done before we even eat.

My ex-husband didn't always follow this rule. When he cooked, he was cooking to eat, not document all the steps along the way for Vegerrific. In his defense, before we "vegged" out, he usually cooked more than I did. Since our change to a vegetarian lifestyle, however, he was often relegated to the taster role. He never complained, but I know he still loves to cook, and he's really good at it.

One of the things I always admired about his cooking skills is his ability to whip up a soup from any old thing in the pantry. On this particular day, he stuck his head in the pantry, pulled out 3 cans, and had this soup on the table 30 minutes later. Obviously, fresh carrots and potatoes would've been ideal, but this was simple, fast, and delicious. He honestly had a fragrant, bubbling soup pot going in the time it took me to do a load of laundry. If I had known what he was up to in the kitchen, I would have been taking pictures along the way. But he was very sneaky about it! 

Easy-Peasy Butterbean-y Soup

1 carton Imagine Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon Earth's Balance3 tablespoons unbleached white flour1 can (15 ounces) butterbeans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 ounces) sliced carrots, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 ounces) potatoes, drained, rinsed and cubed
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes, optional
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-low heat. Add onions and garlic, cooking until transluscent. Add the parsley and cook until soft.
2. Add the Earth's Balance and stir until melted. Add the flour to the mixture and cook about 5 minutes, until the flour begin to brown up and become fragrant.
3. Add beans, carrots, and potatoes. Stir and cook a minute or so. Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add the broth, stirring gently. When it reaches a boil, reduce heat to simmer.
5. Add bay leaves. Add nutritional yeast (if using. He didn't use it when he made the soup, but I added it to the leftovers). Cover and let soup simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Taste soup as it's simmering and adjust seasoning if needed.
6. Remove soup from heat and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.