Butter Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 rib celery diced
• 2 carrots diced
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour unbleached
• 32 ounces vegetable broth
• 30 ounces butter beans rinsed and drained
• 14 ounces diced tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf dried
• coarse kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• chopped parsley fresh, optional
• thyme fresh chopped, optional
• crushed red pepper flakes optional