Author: Nancy Azzaro

Ingredients

2 Cans of Chick Peas- drained and rinsed

Can of organic tomato sauce (15 oz)

Diced onion

2 cloves of garlic

3 Organic carrots-peeled and cut into small pieces

1 or two stalks of organic celery cut up into small pieces

1 container of organic low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 TSP of Tumeric

1/8 TSP of black pepper

Two or three basil leaves or 1 TSP of dried basil

Steps

Cover bottom of large pot with olive oil, Saute onion, celery, and carrots until mostly cooked, then add garlic for a few minutes (don’t brown)

Add tomato sauce and lightly simmer for 10 minutes-add spices

Then add chick peas, container of broth, 4 cups of filtered water and bring to slow boil for about 5 minutes

Then lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes with cover ajar

Remove one cup of soup, cool and then blend and add back to soup (if you’d like)

Optional-If you have other spices on hand such as oregano and rosemary they can be added too (about 1/2 TSP)

Optional-Add 3/4 cup of cooked small pasta or brown rice when soup is almost cooked

White beans can be substituted for chick peas

Leftovers can be frozen in glass or stainless steel containers

Cover the bottom of a large soup pot with olive oil. Saute a diced onion and two stalks of diced celery until soft….add 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Towards the end, add two cloves of garlic and lightly brown (don’t burn). Then add a cut-up tomato and cook for a few minutes. Then add a small can of organic tomato sauce, stir and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add basil if you have and some chopped parsley. Add a half bag of dried lentils (about 8 oz.) and approximately 10 cups of water. Add a container of organic, low sodium vegetable or chicken broth and a teaspoon of organic turmeric. Add 4-5 carrots and one sweet potato peeled and cut-up. Bring to a gentle boil and then lower the heat and simmer for about an hour and a half, with a cover ajar. Optional: Add small, cooked pasta before serving. Serve with grated cheese. (You can enjoy some soup and then freeze the rest, in Pyrex or freezer safe glass.)