Mediterranean Minestrone

It doesn't matter if it's the middle of summer and almost 100 degrees, I love soup. Especially a light soup that you can feel good about eating. I'm not a fan of Italian Minestrone because I feel like it's a bit of a carb overload with all pasta and beans. So I decided to lighten it up with my version of a Mediterranean Minestrone. I made this soup with lots of vegetables and chickpeas. I even used the chickpeas to make my broth creamy. I garnished the soup with a lot of fresh basil and "splurged" away. The family decided this soup was a keeper so it will be a staple in my home no matter how hot or cold it is outside.

Ingredients:

8 cups chicken or vegetable broth

15 oz can of diced tomatoes

(2) 15 oz cans of chickpeas

1 cup of diced zucchini

1 cup of diced carrots

1 cup of diced celery

1 cup of diced yellow onions

1 spring onion sliced

1 tsp of dried oregano

1 tsp of dried basil

1/2 tsp of ground cumin

2 bay leaves

4-5 cloves of garlic (grated)

salt and pepper to taste

squeeze of fresh lemon juice

fresh basil for garnish

In a large soup pot, heat 2 Tbs of olive oil on medium- high heat. Add all your diced vegetables and 2 bay leaves. Saute for 3-4 minutes.

Add your grated garlic next and saute for another 2 minutes.

Next add the dried spices (basil, oregano, ground cumin, salt and pepper). Saute for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the can of diced tomato, the 8 cups of broth (chicken or vegetable) and one can of the chickpeas. Cook for 15-20 minutes.

Take the 2nd can of chickpeas and put it in a blender with 1/2 a cup of water. Blend until it becomes a puree. Add the pureed chickpeas to the soup towards the end of the cooking time. Before you turn off your stove, add a good squeeze of lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon) to the entire soup. Taste for seasoning and your soup should be done.