Cream of Dried Bean Soup

Description
In Romanian: Supa de fasole boabe (crema)

Ingredients

 * 3 qts/3 l water,
 * 1/2 lb/250 g dried beans,
 * 1 carrot,
 * 1 parsley root,
 * 1 onion,
 * 1 tablespoon butter or oil,
 * chopped parsley,
 * salt,
 * cubed toasted bread

Directions

 * 1) Pick over and wash the beans and pre-soak in tepid water the preceding night. Then drain this water and set to boil in fresh tepid water. After boiling for a minute or two, change the water. Repeat this procedure three times.
 * 2) The last time, add, in addition to the beans, the onion, carrot, and parsley root. Let boil, covered, at low temperature. When the beans are tender, remove the carrot and parsley root, strain, then sieve the beans with the onion.
 * 3) Thin with a little of the strained liquid. Set the soup to boil again, with a tablespoon of butter or oil and salt. After coming to a boil, add the chopped parsley. Serve with croutons.