Great Northern Bean Soup

Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 large potato, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pinch ground thyme
- 2 (15 ounce) cans great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

Directions:
- Heat olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic in hot oil until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
- Stir carrots and celery into the onion mixture. Pour vegetable broth into the stockpot; add potato, bay leaves, basil, sea salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer until the vegetables are beginning to soften, about 20 minutes.
- Stir beans into the soup; continue simmering until the beans are hot and tender, about 20 minutes more.