White Kidney Bean Soup with Carrot Salsa

As winter slowly makes way for BBQ season here in Ottawa, I figured we better get the last of that toasty-warm-soup-comfort-food craving out of our systems before its too hot to even consider using the stove. This is a recipe I found years ago on a can of white kidney beans, that I bought by accident (actually wanted red kidney beans to make Chili). It was a fortunate mistake, because this soup has become a bit of a winter staple for us.

The soup is very healthy and my kids both love it. I should dedicate this recipe to my friend Julie, who faithfully reads my blog even though she's a vegetarian and most of my recipes are meat-centric.

White Kidney Bean Soup with Carrot Salsa

1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp coriander
2 cans (540 ml) white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper

For the Salsa:
1 carrot, grated
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 tsp chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat 1 tsp of olive oil and sauté onion and garlic until soft. Add cumin and coriander, cook 1 minute. Add stock and beans. Simmer 15 minutes.

2. Blend soup in a food processor or blender until smooth. Season to taste. Return to stove to keep warm until ready to serve. 3. Grate carrot, mix with lemon juice and cilantro. Use as garnish on soup.