Pantry Soup

"What's for dinner?", the family asked.  The question should have been, "What's in the pantry?".  I'd been feeling a bit under the weather and hadn't been to the market. 

I had in the fridge:

• 3 zucchini
• 4 carrots
• 5 fingerling potatoes
• chicken stock
• lemon

In the pantry:

• garlic
• can of garbanzo beans
• onion
• tomato paste

  

Puree of Pantry Soup

2 Tab. olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

4 carrots, peeled and sliced

3 zucchini, sliced

potatoes, about 1 lb, peeled and sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 Tab. tomato paste

5 C. chicken broth

1-14 oz. can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 Tab. fresh lemon juice

1 Tab. lemon zest

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Saute' the onion in the olive oil until translucent.  Add the zucchini, carrots, and potato and saute' until they begin to soften.  Add the garlic and saute' for 1 minute.  Add the tomato paste and stock and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.  Add the garbanzo beans and cook until they are heated through, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.  Remove the soup from the heat.

Puree the soup in the blender in batches (or do as I do and use a stick blender).  I like to leave some chunks and not blend the soup too finely or it has the texture of baby food.  Return the soup to medium heat and reheat gently.  Stir in some chopped parsley for color if desired.  Taste and again adjust seasoning if needed.  Garnish with more parsley and the lemon zest.

Makes about 6 servings.

• You can use any vegetables that you have in the refrigerator. 
• I always have some Tablespoons of frozen tomato paste in the freezer.  I rarely use a whole can.  When I use just a partial can, I freeze the leftovers in Tab. portions to use at a later date.