Bringing together simple, good quality ingredients makes for kitchen magic. This delicious Lemony White Bean Soup is a stand-out example of that principle. 

INGREDIENTS

• • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large carrots, diced
  • 1 bunch sturdy greens, I used cabbage and  kale, finely sliced and stems chopped
  • 1 can of chopped tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cumin, plus more to taste
  • ⅛ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
  • 3  shallots, minced
  • 1 leek finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 2 veggie broth cubes prepared with boiling water to dissolve
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup chopped fresh, soft herbs, such as parsley, mint, dill, basil, tarragon, thyme, chives, or a combination
  • salt and pepper to taste
  •  Fresh lemon juice from 2 lemons (and grated zest for topping)

PREPARATION

1. Heat a large heavy pot over medium-high for a minute or so to warm it up. Add the oil and heat until it thins out. Add leek, shallots, and carrot, and sauté until soft and brown at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes. 
2. While the vegetables cook, rinse the greens and pull the leaves off the stems. Chop stems into small bite-size pieces and cut the leaves into thin strips. Set aside.
3. Once vegetables are ready, stir tomato paste, 3/4 teaspoon cumin and 1/8 teaspoon red-pepper flakes into the pot, and sauté until paste darkens, about 1 minute. Remove this mixture from pot and set aside. Wiping pot clean with a paper towel
4. Adding a splash more oil to the pot, sauté stems and leaves from greens until just barely tender.
5. Combine in leek, shallots, carrots and white beans stirring into the greens.
6. Grate in ginger and cover mixture completely with prepared broth adding additional water if needed.   
7. Bring soup to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes. Add lemon, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste.
8.  Serve topped with a drizzle of olive oil, grated lemon zest, and more red-pepper flakes, if desired.

I must admit I was equally skeptical and intrigued by this recipe and danced around it for several days before giving it a go. Worried it would taste like a bowl of warm hummus I had Plan B on the ready, but it was never required. The real problem turned out to be not making enough! Like with many cultural mainstays, it is the bringing together of good quality simple ingredients that make for kitchen magic, and you will soon discover that this soup is no exception.  

Just an FYI- This recipe must be started 8 hours in advance with soaking the chickpeas

 

Ingredients

FOR THE CRISPY CHICKPEAS:

1 ¾ cup cooked chickpeas or 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon za’atar, plus more to taste

 

FOR THE SOUP:

1 ½ cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained

¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

2 bay leaves

1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

½ loaf hearty rustic bread (about 8 ounces – I used this one)

1 cup chopped onion

6 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated ( I used shallots)

1 tablespoon ground cumin, plus more for serving

2 chopped Roma tomatoes

1 tablespoon harissa paste or spice mix plus more for serving ( adjust this according to taste)

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, for serving

½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, for serving

 

Crispy chickpeas: 

Layout chickpeas on clean toweling to completely air dry for at least 30 mins.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Move chickpeas onto a parchment-covered baking sheet. Splash 2 -3 teaspoons of olive oil and toss well with salt and a sprinkle of za’atar. 

Bake 15 mins or until crispy, add more seasoning if desired, and set aside to cool.

At the same time, you can toast the rustic bread until crispy for the soup. Tear in bite sized pieces, and place on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes.

 

Chickpeas for soup:

In a heavy stockpot or pressure cooker, combine drained soaked chickpeas, 5 cups water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, bay leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon salt over high heat. Bring to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover, cooking until chickpeas are tender, 30 mins in the pressure cooker, and about 1 to 2 hours in a stockpot.

When the chickpeas for the soup are tender, discard bay leaves. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chickpeas, 1/2 cup of the chickpea cooking liquid, and 1/4 cup olive oil to a blender or food processor, and purée until smooth. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic or shallots and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cumin, and tomatoes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add a splash of the chickpea cooking liquid to the pan, and bring to a simmer to deglaze, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Turn off heat.

Combine chickpea purée and onion mixture, remaining cooking liquid along with harissa and lemon juice, and stir well. Add water as needed if the soup seems too thick, and adjust seasonings. 

Serve by dividing toasted bread pieces among soup bowls, add soup and garnish with lemon zest, parsley, olive oil, more cumin, and some of the crispy chickpeas. Serve hot, with more harissa on the side.

Enjoy!

Adapted from Melissa Clark NY Cooking

 

 

Inspiration for this recipe came in the form of my prolific sage plant and the oversized butternut squash that arrived in my CSA last week. As I write this it is seriously taking every bit of will power I have to not sneak back into the kitchen for another bite of this amazing combination. I hope you and someone you love can enjoy this dish as much as we did.

 

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

1 liter of prepared veggie broth ( use only enough to keep vegetables covered while cooking)

1 medium onion diced

Olive Oil

1 cup of soaked cashews, soaked in very hot water for 30-45 minutes and drained

12 sage leaves, plus an extra prig or so for serving 

1 bunch of cleaned and trimmed spinach or 1 bag of baby spinach

Salt and Pepper 

 

1 box gluten-free pasta, cooked al dente 

 

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pan, add onions, saute on medium heat until soft and they begin to turn golden. Add the sage leaves, squash, and just barely cover all vegetables with veggie broth.  Simmer until squash cubes are quite tender. 

Add cashews and blend with an immersion or high-speed blender until very smooth and creamy.

Season to taste. 

Fold spinach into sauce and pour over prepared pasta. 

Top with a sprig of sage and serve. 

Enjoy!