How to Make Butter Bean Soup - Quick, Easy, Delicious

 

 

This Butter Bean Soup recipe makes for a simple, nourishing meal that brings comfort with every spoonful. Made with tender butter beans, fresh vegetables, and a handful of everyday pantry ingredients, it’s a hearty, wholesome soup that comes together with very little effort. 

Perfect for busy weeknights or a cozy lunch, this easy recipe delivers rich flavor and satisfying warmth without needing anything fancy. Whether you’re cooking for two or looking for a budget‑friendly meal that still feels special, this butter bean soup is sure to become a regular in your kitchen.

 

I love this time of year. It gives me permission to feed my soup appetite.  Let's face it these Winter months are the perfect time of year to feed your soup appetite!  Nobody feels like a hot bowl of soup in the summer months.

Come January however, and we all start craving something hot and rich to warm our bellies.  Not as a starter.  Not as a lunch.  We want a hearty bowl of soup that will warm us up and, with a crisp roll, some hot buttered toast, a toasted sandwich, or fresh thick slice of bread, fill our bellies in a way that nothing else quite can! 

I enjoyed a bowl of this delicious butter bean soup today with some hot buttered toast. This is a rich and creamy soup with a full-bodied flavor. Vegetarian, vegan, hearty and healthy!  Rich and creamy without the addition of any milk or cream. Prepare to fall in love with this simple, quick and easy to make soup. 

 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

TO MAKE

BUTTER BEAN SOUP

Simple store cupboard ingredients.

• 2 tsp light olive oil
• 1 small brown onion, peeled and cut into small dice
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/8 tsp dried thyme
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 stick of celery, trimmed and diced
• 1 can (14oz/400g) butterbeans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup (120ml) water
• 1 cup (240ml) vegetable stock
• 1/2 bay leaf
• fine salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

You can use any kind of oil you wish to use, or even ghee. I use light olive oil as that is what I keep in my house for cooking. It has all of the health properties of extra virgin olive oil but is much milder in flavor.

A brown onion is a cooking onion with a brown skin. You can use any onion you wish. I like to use cooking onions in soups as they lend a nice flavor to the soup.

If you don't have any butter beans you can use any other white tinned bean.  Cannellini or white northern beans are the best, but you can also use haricot beans.

I use reconstituted Better than Boullion Vegetable Stock concentrate for my stock.

My bay leaves were rather on the large side. If you only have small bay leaves you can use one whole bay leaf.

 

HOW TO MAKE BUTTER BEAN SOUP

Not only is this a delicious soup, but it is also very quick and easy to make.

1. Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan with a heavy base over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, without browning. (You don't want the onions to brown so keep an eye on them.)
2. Add the garlic, spices and herbs and cook until fragrant, then add the carrot and celery, tossing everything together to combine. (You also don't want the garlic to brown. Heating the spices and herbs through before adding any other veggies helps to enhance their natural flavors.)
3. While the veggies are softening, add 3/4 of the tin of beans to a blender along with the 1/2 cup of water and blend until smooth. (The pureed beans add a creaminess to the soup without having to add milk or cream.)
4. Pour the blended beans into the saucepan. Add the stock, bay leaf, whole beans and seasoning to taste. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat.
5. Simmer over low heat, partially covered, for about 25 minutes until all of the vegetables are tender and the flavors have melded well. (Don't boil the soup as you don't want it to reduce too much. If you think it is too thick you can add a bit of additional hot stock)
6. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Serve ladled into heated bowls. (Heated bowls help to keep the soup hot for longer.)

 

HINTS AND TIPS FOR THE BEST SOUP

• Read through the recipe several times before beginning. This will help to familiarize you with any ingredients, equipment, or cooking methods needed.
• Assemble all of your ingredients before you start. This can help to prevent you from leaving anything integral to the recipe out by mistake.
• Follow the instructions exactly as written.
• Do not brown your onions or garlic. They need only be softened.
• Rinse your beans to take away any tinny flavor from the can.
• Do not over season. It is much easier to add a bit of seasoning at the table if required than it is to remove excess salt or pepper.
• Serve the hot soup in heated bowls. The heat from the bowls will keep the soup hot for longer.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CAN THIS RECIPE BE DOUBLED?

By all means. The original recipe was twice this amount. I cut it in half to make only two servings.

DO I HAVE TO PUREE A PORTION OF THE BEANS?

Yes. This is integral to the creaminess of this soup.

CAN THIS SOUP BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?

Absolutely. Make the soup then place in the refrigerator in a covered container. Reheat gently over medium heat until heated through when you want to eat it.

HOW LONG WILL THIS SOUP KEEP?

This soup will keep for at least 3 to 4 days, covered, in the refrigerator.

I CAN'T GET BUTTERBEANS. WHAT OTHER BEANS CAN I USE?

If you can't get butterbeans, you can use any other white bean with success.  Haricot, Cannellini, Great Northern, etc.

CAN THIS SOUP BE FROZEN?

Yes, you can freeze this soup. Simply pop into an airtight container. Seal and label with the contents and date. It will keep frozen for up to six months.  To serve, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then gently reheat over medium low heat until heated through to serve. 

 

A FEW OTHER

DELICIOUS SOUPS TO ENJOY

Soup suppers are not only satisfying but also food for the soul. Here are a few other favorite soup recipes that you might also enjoy!

LITTLE MEATBALL SOUP - Its amazing what you can do with a package of macaroni, a tin of tomatoes, some stock cubes and a pound of Italian sausage!! This deliciously hearty soup is fantastic ladled into heated bowls and topped with a smattering of good, grated cheese!  Some garlic toast on the side would be great! 

CREAMY HUNGARIAN MUSHROOM SOUP - Sweet onion, meaty mushrooms, lemon, dill, sour cream and a good stock all work together to create something with is sublime and quite simply delicious. There is no other word to describe it. Not only is this soup incredibly tasty, but it is also really quick and easy to make.   

 

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Yield: Serves 2

Author: Marie Rayner

Butter Bean Soup

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 35 Min

Nourishing, hearty and delicious. Cozy and creamy.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp light olive oil
• 1 small brown onion, peeled and cut into small dice
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/8 tsp dried thyme
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 stick of celery, trimmed and diced
• 1 can (14oz/400g) butterbeans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup (120ml) water
• 1 cup (240ml) vegetable stock
• 1/2 bay leaf
• fine salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan with a heavy base over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, without browning.
2. Add the garlic, spices and herbs and cook until fragrant, then add the carrot and celery, tossing everything together to combine.
3. While the veggies are softening, add 3/4 of the tin of beans to a blender along with the 1/2 cup of water and blend until smooth.
4. Pour the blended beans into the saucepan. Add the stock, bay leaf, whole beans and seasoning to taste. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat.
5. Simmer over low heat, partially covered, for about 25 minutes until all of the vegetables are tender and the flavors have melded well.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Serve ladled into heated bowls.

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