Vegetable, Bean, and Chickpea Soup
Healthy and hearty!
This soup calls for plenty of vegetables and two different sources of protein: beans and chickpeas. The nutrition and density of this soup will sustain and energize you for several hours, with a serving size of one cup per day. It’s a delicious meal in a pot. I love this soup all year – I just play around with the spices depending on the seasons.
Recipe
1 tsp olive oil or ghee
1 cup celery – chopped
1 cup carrots – chopped
1 cup onion – chopped
1 cup summer squash – chopped
1 cup mushrooms – chopped
1 cup fresh parsley – chopped
1 cup organic spinach or kale – add to soup towards the end of cooking
4 fresh basil leaves
A few fresh slices of ginger, turmeric – or ½ tsp dry
2 cloves garlic – minced
1 15 oz can black beans – rinsed well
1 15 oz can chickpeas – rinsed well
Water to cover ingredients in pot
Spices to taste: salt, black pepper, ginger, turmeric, cardamom
Mise en place
Instructions
In a large pot, heat olive oil or ghee (dairy)
Add chopped celery, carrots, and onion, and cook until onions are translucent
Add all ingredients except the spinach or kale – cover the water and bring to a boil
Reduce heat and cook on low for 1 hour, covered – stirring occasionally
Uncover and add spinach or kale
Add salt, pepper, cardamom to taste
One stick of kombu seaweed
Enjoy!
Genia’s Spoon Me Tips
You can always add spices and herbs for more flavor. I like to use seasonal spices:
Spring: black pepper, turmeric, basil, garlic
Summer: mint, dill, cilantro, coriander, dill, fennel
Autumn: cumin, coriander, fennel
Winter: ginger, cinnamon, cumin, clove
I use ginger in almost all my dishes and soups all year because Ayurveda treats it as the universal medicine. Ginger stimulates the digestive fire, boosts circulation, and clears out toxins. Ginger rocks!
With a little rice or sweet potato on the side you have a complete macro meal.
You can store leftovers in a mason jar for a week, or in the freezer for up to a month.
Much love,
Genia