There is something comforting about wrapping your hands around a bowl of soup. The best soups are warm and filling, simple to make and packed with flavour.
The adults in our house love all sorts of soups; everything from spicy dahl to vegetable-packed minestrone. Our kids aren’t as enthusiastic.
In our household, we make one or two repertoire expanding meals a week. It has worked out great. My teen is now reaching for the bottle of hot sauce!
However, creamy soups are something we all enjoy. My kids love the creamy deliciousness. I like how easy they are to make. They’re perfect for packing in a lot of vegetables without spending much time chopping or dicing. Since creamy soups are typically pureed at the end, the vegetables just disappear.
Here is a creamy soup recipe that is perfect for featuring whatever vegetables are affordable in your grocery store.
Traditional cream soups use a potato base. However, I’m not patient enough to make a soup that isn’t a complete one-pot meal. This soup uses white beans to add fibre and protein. Serve it with a slice of bread and you have a hearty meal.
Cooking Dried Beans
(Makes 6 cups = 3 cans of beans)
This soup recipe uses canned beans for speed. However, if you have time, dried beans are an incredibly affordable protein. Here’s how to prepare dried beans from scratch and freeze them so you can use them as a replacement for canned beans.
2 cups dried beans
Water to cook and cover
1 tsp baking soda
1. Place the beans in a medium-sized pot. Add 4 cups of water. Put the lid back on the pot and let the beans soak for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.
2. Drain the soaking water, then add 4 cups of fresh water. Stir in 1 tsp of baking soda. This helps to break down the skin on the beans, resulting in a softer, creamier bean. If you’re using your beans for chili, then skip the baking soda. However, it’s a nice option for creamy soups.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are soft. This can take between 45 minutes to 1½ hours depending on the age of the beans.
4. When the beans are soft, drain the boiling water and rinse the beans.
5. To freeze cooked beans, place them in freezer-friendly containers and cover with water. In general, 1½ cups of cooked beans will replace 1 regular-sized can of beans.
Creamy Bean & Vegetable Soup
I haven’t specified what type of vegetable to use for this soup, because it’s perfect for all sorts of different vegetables. Use your favourite vegetables or mix and match with whatever is affordable!
4 cups roughly chopped vegetables
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
8 cups low-sodium broth or water
2 cans white or butter beans
2 tsp salt, to taste
1 tsp ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup whipping cream
1. Roughly chop the onion, vegetables and peel the garlic.
2. Warm the olive oil in the bottom of a large soup pot. Add the onion, vegetables and garlic. Sauté until the onions have started to soften, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the broth over the vegetables, add the beans and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and puree until smooth. This is easiest with a stick blender, but you can also puree in batches in a regular blender.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The amount of salt will depend on the saltiness of the broth.
6. Stir in the cream and serve! The leftovers are even more delicious, so I recommend making a double-batch if you have an extra-large soup pot.
