Cream of White Bean, Carrot & Ginger Soup with Cashews and Chives for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

I found this recipe for Cream of White Bean, Carrot & Ginger Soup in the current issue of Clean Eating magazine. I love a soup that gets its creaminess without using dairy. In this case, it's the cannellini beans that provide a rich, velvety texture--and they add fiber and protein to the mix too. 

I made a couple of small changes to the recipe, noted in red below--doubling the garlic, adding extra ginger, and squeezed in fresh lemon juice to add acidity.

Cream of White Bean, Carrot & Ginger Soup
Adapted from Heather Bainbridge, Clean Eating Magazine, Jan/Feb 2015
(Serves 8)
Hands-On Time: 20 minutes / Total Time: 40 Minutes
 
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (I used approximately 3-inches)
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 4 cloves)
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 (15 oz) low-sodium, BPA-free cans cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 lb carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
(I added the juice from 1/2 of a lemon)
2 1/2 oz roasted unsalted cashews, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives 

In a large soup pot or saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until it begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ginger and garlic; saute 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant.

Add broth, 2 cups water, beans, carrots, bay leaves and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and discard bay leaves. 

Using an immersion blender, or carefully in a standing blender, puree the soup until smooth. Place into bowls and topped with cashews and chives. 

Nutritional Info (1-Cup Soup with Toppings): Calories: 194, Total Fat: 6g, Sat. Fat: 1g, Mono-Fat: 4g, Poly-Fat: 1g, Carbs: 26.5g, Fiber: 10g, Sugars: 4g, Protein: 8.5g, Sodium: 158mg, Cholesterol: 0mg

Notes/Results: A quick and easy soup to put together that delivers good flavor and creamy satisfaction. I am glad I increased the garlic and ginger--I like lots of flavor in my soup and appreciated that I could taste both easily. They, along with the shot of lemon, also balance out the sweetness of the carrots. The cashews add a slight crunch and along with the chives make a good topping. A bright soup to brighten up a cloudy and cool day. I would make it again.

 Let's take a look into the Souper Sundays kitchen and see who dropped by. 

Janet of The Taste Space is here with this pretty Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Hemp and Orange. She says, "No stranger to raw shredded Brussels sprout salads, this is yet another way for me to eat eat one of my favourite vegetables. I chose to thinly slice them instead of using the food processor which made for cute mini cabbage creations in the salad. The vinaigrette was simple and allowed the produce’s own flavours shine with a faint sweetness from the juicy clementines."

Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe is back this week with a Creamy Potato Salad with Vegan Mayonnaise and says, "A bottle of sunflower oil has sat on my kitchen bench for a long time in hope that I might finally try to make a vegan mayonnaise. ...Then I made a potato salad with tofu bacon and spring onions.  This is pretty much the way that I used to have it as a child (but meat bacon not tofu bacon).  It was great comfort food on a lazy evening.  We love to eat it a bit warm but I am sure that it would be great at room temperature and should keep in the fridge."

Speaking of salads, my friend Sue of Couscous & Consciousness has set the aggressive and healthy goal of posting a new salad everyday on her blog and she has posted eight amazing ones so far. You can join her in her Salad Days: 28 Days of Salads Project by linking up your favorite salads on the linky on her blog. (Sue has all the details there.) Representing her salads this week is this Hot & Sour Asian Slaw Recipe that she served with luscious Burmese Chili Prawns. Sue says, "This dish definitely had the wow factor - an absolute explosion of flavours and textures, and just enough heat to leave my lips tingling at the end of it ... in a good way.  If you like Asian flavours, I urge you to give this a try the next time you have cole slaw on your mind."

This week at  at Kahakai Kitchen, I made Watercress Tea Sandwiches to pair with a book review. What's better than little crust-less sandwiches? Little crust-less sandwiches spread with lemony watercress compound butter and layered with watercress leaves and thin slices of cucumber. Perfect with a cuppa, or as a light lunch. The compound butter is also excellent with grilled salmon and melted over veggies and is a must-make.

 
Thanks to everyone who joined in this week. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the sidebar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!