Chickpea Veggie Soup

It might be June but it isn’t exactly “summer” here (that usually occurs after the 4th of July!). 60° and raining leads to soup for dinner. This is a hearty soup, almost more vegetables than broth. Perfect with a loaf of No-Knead Sweet Potato Bread served with it.

Chickpea Veggie Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into thin coins
• 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
• 1½ lbs zucchini, trimmed and sliced into thin rounds
• 1 quart (4 cups) lower sodium vegetable broth
• 1½ cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained
• 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, drained
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• ¼ cup finely sliced fresh basil leaves
• Salt and or Parmesan-Reggiano cheese, finely grated

Directions:

Heat a large pot over medium, add the oil, onion and fennel, cook until onion is translucent, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the carrots, cook for another 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, cook for a minute.

Stir in the broth, chickpeas, zucchini, tomatoes and pepper. Bring to a simmer, turn to medium-low and let simmer until the zucchini is tender, season to taste. Stir in the basil and serve with finely grated cheese on top, if desired. A microplane grater works well for this task.

Serves 6 to 8, depending on serving size.

~Sarah