Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil*
  • 2 ribs celery (diced)
  • 1 medium leek (white & light green sections chopped)
  • 1 medium red or orange bell pepper (seeded & chopped)
  • 1 carrot (peeled & sliced into thin ¼-inch pieces)
  • 3 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (leaved removed & chopped)
  • 2 springs fresh oregano (leaves removed & chopped)
  • 2-3 springs fresh thyme (leaves removed & chopped)
  • 5 cups low sodium vegetable broth**
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 strips lemon zest (using a vegetable peeler)
  • 1 inch chunk Parmesan rind
  • 15 ounces canned or cooked chickpeas (rinsed)
  • 15 ounces canned or cooked white beans (rinsed)
  • ¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon ground pepper (or to taste)
  • 2 cups arugula (loosely packed)
  • Parmesan strips (using a vegetable peeler, for garnish***)

Instruction

  • Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the celery, leek, bell pepper and carrot, and saute so they all begin to soften, about 5 to 6 minutes. Allow the vegetables to sweat but not turn brown – you just want them to soften.
  • Add the garlic, dried oregano, rosemary, oregano and thyme, and continue to cook, stirring everything together for another minute.
  • Pour in the broth and add the bay leaf, lemon zest, Parmesan rind, chickpeas and beans. Stir to combine and season to taste.
  • Cover the pot with a lid, bring to a low simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
  • Once done, remove the cheese rind and the lemon zest. If you prefer a creamier soup (which I do!), use an immersion blender to blend some of the soup. Alternatively, let the soup cool slightly, then ladle 2 cups of the soup into a blender or food processor, blend to a smooth consistency, then add that back into the soup. **Be sure to let the soup cool a bit and hold the lid on your blender so you don’t burn yourself or end up with soup on your ceiling.**
  • Remove the soup from the heat and add the arugula. The residual heat will soften the leaves.
  • Garnish with the strips of Parmesan.