Budget Friendly Clean Eating Creamy Bean Soup

Budget-Friendly Clean Eating Creamy Bean Soup

This delicious and hearty soup is packed with protein and fiber, making it a satisfying and affordable meal.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 ribs celery, diced
• 4 large carrots, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned diced tomatoes)
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 3 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Optional Ingredients (for a richer flavor):

• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk or cashew milk

Cooking Guide:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until softened.
2. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute, until fragrant.
3. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, and thyme. Cook for another minute.
4. Pour in vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
5. Add cannellini beans and simmer for another 5 minutes.
6. Using an immersion blender, puree about half of the soup until creamy. Alternatively, let the soup cool slightly and transfer half of it to a blender to puree. Return the puréed soup to the pot.
7. Stir in chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. For an extra creamy texture (optional), whisk in nutritional yeast and almond milk/cashew milk. Heat through until warmed.

Tips:

• You can substitute any type of white bean for cannellini beans, such as Great Northern beans, navy beans, or chickpeas.
• To make this soup even more budget-friendly, you can use dried beans instead of canned beans. Soak 1 cup of dried beans overnight according to package instructions. Rinse and add them to the pot in step 4, along with an additional cup of vegetable broth. Increase simmering time by 30-40 minutes, or until the beans are tender.
• Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• To freeze the soup, let it cool completely and then transfer it to a freezer-safe container. It will stay good for up to 3 months.
• Serve this soup with a side of crusty bread for dipping.

Enjoy this flavorful and healthy soup!