White bean soup: simple and economical

Going out of town for a weekend is great, but always throws us off a little, so Monday was a leftovers day.  Tuesday I got my act together and we made this soup from Nurture's list of recipes.  I've been involved with Nurture for a while now and they have SO many great recipes...this is one of my all time favorites (thanks Julia)!

Soaked about 16 oz white beans 12-24 hours (the longer the better)

Just make sure there is more than enough water covering the beans.

Sauté the following in some grass-fed butter:

1/2 yellow onion

2 cloves of garlic

3/4s of a bunch of celery chopped

3/4s of a bag of carrots

then add:

the beans

a little less than a 32oz container of chicken broth (low sodium)

a few teaspoons of chili powder

a couple of tablespoons of thyme

salt & pepper

Cook the soup for 2.5+ hours covered on low

then puree with a hand blender

I finished the bowls off with a splash of red wine vinegar...a must (thanks again, Julia)!  It really brightens the flavors of the soup.  Actually, I also added a squeeze of lemon (the Vitamin C increases the absorption of Iron from the beans) and Sriracha (b/c I'm a hot sauce addict...love it with beans)!    For more great recipes that are easy on the wallet and waist, check out Nurture's website!

Nutrition Information per 2 cup serving

275 calories

6 g fat

42 g carbs

14 g protein

4 g fiber

& a good source of Vitamins A, C, Folate, B vitamins, Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc, Calcium and Iron

Not bad for a soup that costs less than $15 and makes enough for about 6 people!