If you have a bag of carrots, an onion, and a can of white beans, you have the ingredients to make this spectacular soup.

"Spectacular" is no hyperbole here. This luxurious soup is velvety smooth, packed with caramelized flavor, and easy as can be to make. It tastes like an offering at a (very) high-end restaurant, yet is homey and frugal, too.

It is also naturally vegan, oil-free, loaded with potassium and Vitamin A (think beautiful winter complexion), low in calories, and a sneaky source of 6 grams plant protein per generous serving.

Like I said, spectacular!

I developed the idea for this soup for one reason: I intend to make and share more super-simple, healthy, minimalist recipes that make eating (A LOT!) of vegetables a (delectable and satisfying) joy!

This 3-ingredient soup doesn't just qualify, it over-qualifies.

To make it, roast 2 pounds of carrots, peeled and cut crosswise (mine were about 1/2-inch thick) and 1 large onion, peeled and cut into large chunks, in a 400F for 30 minutes, or until they are very soft and browned at the edges (vegetable caramelization=mega flavor).

You do not need to add oil to the vegetables before roasting. I gave my pan a light spritz of baking, but you can also line the pan with a piece of parchment paper (I ran out! Hence the spray). 

I sprinkled the vegetables with both salt and pepper before roasting, but the seasoning is your call (I'll say more about this later). 

While the vegetables roast, rinse and drain the stealth ingredient: canned white beans.

I say "stealth" because you (nor anyone else) will taste beans when they taste this soup. The beans add creaminess (instead of cream), savory notes (to temper the sweetness of the roasted vegetables), and plant protein, too. Pretty sneaky.

Add the beans, carrots, and onion to a blender, along with 2 cups of water, and blend until silky smooth. 

The mixture will be thick, and vibrant orange.

Scrape the soup into a large saucepan and whisk in an additional 1 and 1/2 cups water. Heat the soup over medium heat for about 5 minutes until warmed through.

Taste the soup and add additional salt and pepper, as desired. If you prefer a thinner soup, whisk in more water until the consistency is to your liking.

And that, my friends, is that! Your soup is served.

Now, getting back to the topic of seasonings I mentioned earlier. I purposely kept the seasonings in this soup to a minimum, mostly because they are not needed. I mean it. The soup is packed with flavor with nothing more than regular salt & pepper to enhance the flavors of the roasted carrots and onion. 

And yet, if you wish to guild the lily, go for it! For example:

• Fresh or dried herbs (e.g., thyme, herbes de Provence, rosemary)
• Spices (e.g., ginger, turmeric, cumin, curry powder, smoked paprika, Chinese 5-spice)
• Acid (e.g., a small splash of lemon juice or vinegar)
• Heat (e.g., sriracha, hot sauce, jalapeno)

Happy cooking, and viva vegetables!

[tasty-recipe id="17061"]