This recipe for Lebanese vegetable soup is similar to many soup recipes from the Mediterranean basin: gently cooked beans and vegetables float in a hearty base redolent of tomato, spices and herbs. If time is a factor, canned beans make this a 25-minute soup that will have people thinking you cooked all afternoon.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 thyme branch
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½” chunks
- 1-15 ounce can plum tomatoes, crushed
- 1 quart vegetable broth
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 cups cooked, drained chickpeas, favas or lima beans
- 10 artichoke hearts, cut into bite sized pieces
- To serve:
- Lemon wedges
- Chopped parsley
Preparation:
Warm olive oil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic, and cook 8 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add coriander, bay leaf and thyme; stir to coat vegetables. Add sweet potato, tomatoes and their liquid, broth, and 2 ample pinches of sea salt. Bring soup to a boil, cover, reduce heat and cook 10 minutes. Add chickpeas, and cook soup until sweet potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes more. Add artichoke pieces, and simmer for 3 minutes so the flavors can meld. Adjust seasoning and serve garnished with chopped parsley and lemon.
Serves 4-6
Copyright 2009 by Jen Hoy
