Vegetable Soup

Sauté the Carrots and Onions: Start a pot on medium-high heat on your stove. Add the oil to coat the bottom of your pot (if oil-free, use a splash of water to cook your carrots and onions, adding more if needed). Add the carrots and onions to the pot and then cook until the carrots are soft and the onions are translucent.

Add the Garlic and Italian Seasonings: Add the minced garlic and Italian seasonings to the pot and stir them in. Cook for about 1 minute to help release the flavors.

Add the Tomatoes, Broth and Bay Leaf: Gently add the fire-roasted tomatoes and vegetable broth to avoid splashing. Then toss in your bay leaf. Stir everything and let it come to a boil.

Add the Butter Beans: Turn the heat off your stove to a simmer. Add the butter beans and let cook for about 10 to 15 more minutes. If the butter bean stew is taking too long to cook, you can try increasing the stove to medium heat. We do that sometimes when we are impatient. But I will say, the longer you let the stew simmer, the more the flavors tend to deepen.

Add the Cream, Vinegar and Spinach: Once your stew is cooked to your liking, remove bay leaf and add your cashew cream and baby spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts and then add the white wine vinegar.

Serve:  Add the stew to a bowl and salt and pepper as needed. You could also garnish with fresh parsley if you like. This stew would be great with garlic bread or a big wedge of fresh crusty bread.