I haven’t posted in a while. We’ve had a hard summer and the
desire to post has just not been there. I am looking forward to forgetting all
about this summer so it’s nice that Mother Nature is cooperating. The air is
getting cooler. Our central air conditioning unit broke (again) last week and
we haven’t felt the urgency to get it fixed. The past few mornings I have sent
my kids to camp with hoodies on, and in the evening the breeze picks up and I
enjoy the sight of the curtains billowing about the windowsills.
Logically, as it cools down outside, we feel the need to
warm up inside. What better way to accomplish that than with a piping hot delicious homemade
soup?
Soup time is one of my favourite times of year, largely because
The King of Soup starts to make some of his masterpieces again. The KoS is quite
open to suggestions so I find myself browsing through cookbooks and websites,
and proposing new options weekly. This process works well for me.
Even though I love when The KoS cooks, I also enjoy making soup
myself. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it’s not technical, and you can generally
combine many things that are already in your refrigerator and end up with
something quite yummy.
This recipe came from my head, and was not prepared by The
KoS. It’s a classic vegetable soup with some extra protein in the form of chick
peas. And it was delicious.
Ingredients:
2 large carrots, sliced
2 large stalks celery, sliced
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed (14 oz can) (or you
could use lentils)
1 large can diced tomatoes (or take fresh tomatoes and pulse
them a few times in the food processor)
A couple of handfuls of green beans, cut into 1 inch
sections
Any other vegetables you want to add! (try zucchini, sweet
potato or squash, peppers...)
Herbs (a combination of fresh and dried works well – try dried
oregano, fresh basil, fresh parsley, or whatever else you’d like)
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil (2 tbsp should do the trick)
Vegetable stock cubes reconstituted with boiling water, or
homemade stock
Method:
In a large stock pot, heat 1 tbsp of the oil. When hot,
reduce the heat to medium-high and add the onions. Saute for about 5 minutes until
translucent.
Add the rest of the oil and the celery and carrots and sauté
for another 2 – 3 minutes. Add the garlic.
Add the chick peas and sauté for 1 minute.
Then add the
tomatoes and the dried herbs.
Finally add the beans and whichever other veggies you have
decided to use. Add the stock (liquid should just cover veggies). You don’t
want too much liquid because you won’t be letting this soup simmer too long or
the vegetables will overcook.
If you have decided to use sweet potatoes, cube them and par-boil
them first for about 10 minutes before adding them to the soup. If you have
decided to try squash, add an extra layer of deliciousness by roasting the
squash in the oven (in cubes) for 10 – 15 minutes prior to adding it to the
soup.
Add your fresh herbs and the salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with parmesan cheese, homemade bread, biscuits, or
whatever else makes you feel happy and cosy inside. I made Challah and toasted it nicely. Yummy.