soup: a love letter

Oh, soup, how much do I love thee? I was sitting on the couch the other night, when I was suddenly chilled by a cool breeze through my open windows. My first thought? "I need to make soup!"

Now, while it's still very much summer in our neck of the woods, the nights have been cooler this week, which has made me feel a-ok about making -- and eating! -- soup. Soup is definitely one of my favorite meals, and I eat it often during the cooler months.

Thankfully, I had nearly everything on hand to make this batch -- a quick trip to the co-op for egg noodles was all this bowl of warmth and comfort required. :) Living a block away from the co-op means spontaneous cooking inspiration can strike at any time these days!

Chickpea Noodle Soup

Yield: 4 substantial servings



Ingredients:
4 tsp olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (use your favorite kind!)
2 cups cooked chickpeas
pepper to taste
4 to 6 ounces dry egg noodles

Directions:
1. Saute the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic in the olive oil until soft.
2. Add the broth, chickpeas, and pepper, and bring the soup to a boil.
3. Add the egg noodles; return the soup to a boil. Continue cooking until the noodles are al-dente. Cool slightly, and serve immediately!

I used to think I needed to "fancy-up" chickpea noodle soup with lemon, fresh herbs, etc. I've come to realize that what I really want, when I want chickpea noodle soup, is something glaringly simple and full of noodles. And seriously, use your favorite kind of vegetable broth, because two things carry this soup -- the broth, and the noodles. :) I don't typically make homemade broth, just because I lack storage space for the finished product, but if you have some on hand, by all means, use it! My favorite veg broth is the Rapunzel powdered base -- I use less of the powder than they direct, (about 1 tbsp per quart of water, instead of the full 4 tsp they direct,) and that's still plenty flavorful and salty for me. But by all means, use whatever you like best!