Garbanzo & Celery Soup With Gremolada

Soup today! Healthy soup. Sorry if this disappoints those who read my blog for a vicarious sugar rush.

I did try to deliver, spending my morning hand-pulling some gorgeous twisted hard candies. However, I decided that blogging about how to make these treats would be unwise. I managed to burn myself while handling the pulled sugar, even with my layers of gloves.

Sure, handling hot sugar is dangerous by default but I've decided that trying to handle hard candy is crazy dangerous for most home cooks (including myself). It isn't the same as handling something like taffy, which you can work with your bare hands.

I don't want to post a recipe where I need to recommend having your local hospital's burn unit on speed dial.

Hence we're posting my lunch today.



This is how I balance my diet, what with all the testing and tasting of sweets I do in my kitchen, I need to fill up on something healthy. Being hungry in my kitchen is dangerous. To prevent myself from stuffing cake and pastry into my face all afternoon, I'm in the habit of arming myself with delicious, healthy soups.

So the gremolada, for those unfamiliar, is a mixture of chopped parsley, lemon zest and garlic that gives this soup a fresh zip. It is delicious and balances the mellow earthiness of the beans and vegetables. For non-fans of garbanzos, feel free to substitute with your legume of choice. Just be sure that they are tender and cooked before adding them to the soup.

Garbanzo & Celery Soup With Gremolada
adapted from the Vegetarian Bible
serves 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 cup (200g) canned garbanzo beans
1 russet potato, finely chopped
14 ounces (398ml) canned diced tomatoes
3 3/4 cups (900ml) vegetable stock*
salt and fresh ground pepper
(optional: dash of ground cumin and ground coriander)

for the gremolada:
1/4 cup (7g) chopped flat leaf parsley
zest of one lemon
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

* Use a flavorful vegetable stock, particuarly homemade, it makes all the difference in your soups. It is easy to make at home and freezes beautifully.

In a large sauce pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat and cook the onion until translucent. Add the celery and cook for 5 more minutes then add the beans and potato. Cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add the stock and canned tomatoes and bring the minute to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 45-50 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper. If using, add the dash of cumin and coriander now.

To make the gremolada, combine the ingredients and stir into the soup just before serving. Allow to stand 1-2 minutes and then serve hot.

To make the soup in advance: Refrigerate or freeze the soup without the gremolada. Make the gremolada up fresh and add it before serving.

Enjoy!

Nutrition info, per serving:
Calories 170, protein 6g, fat 8g (saturated fat 1g), carbohydrates 21g

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