Gypsy Soup
In this photo, I am making enough to have leftovers so have doubled the recipe.
I discovered Gypsy Soup several decades ago in a Moosewood Cookbook. If you haven’t read any of Mollie Katzen’s cookbooks, I highly recommend them. The complexity of the spices here make it really rich, even if you usually favor meat in your soup. And, it is super healthy.
Ingredients
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves of minced garlic
1-2 celery stalks, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, chopped into bite sized pieces
Green (or colored) bell pepper, chopped
1/3 cup tomato sauce
14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes (you can use 1/2-1 cup of tomato sauce instead)
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. basil (I often don’t have this on hand, but it is great when you have it.)
Dash of cinammon
Dash of Cayenne
1 bay leaf
1 14 ounce can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
6 cups of vegetable broth (can use less but you will have to add broth or water if you have leftovers to reheat - the vegetables absorb a lot of the liquid.)
1 head of kale, swiss chard or other green, rinsed and cut into strips. If using kale, strip the greens from the spine before cutting into strips.
Saute the onions, garlic and celery in a few tbls. of avocado oil, until the onions are translucent.
Add in the sweet potatoes. Saute for about 4 more minutes.
Add in all of the seasonings and the broth. Bring to boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.
Add in the tomatoes, garbanzo beans and pepper. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
The reason (I think) for the Gypsy label is that you can use whatever you have on hand, vegetable-wise. Just be sure to use the spice mixture for that unique, warming, healing glow! I have used green beans, potatoes, asparagus, and have left out the pepper and celery. I always use onions and garlic. And I do really prefer it with sweet potatoes. If you don’t have broth on hand, you can substitute water. The original recipe calls for water. But use only 4 cups then as it won’t be as flavorful.
