Fennel and Chickpea Soup with Parmesan
Spring bears with it the need to Spring-clean the body from the rich food and stagnancy of winter. We can achieve this by keeping the diet simple and clear, and one of my favourite ways to do this is with a clarifying clear broth-based soup. Keeping salt and oil to a minimum the parmesan rind achieves this while adds depth of umami.
I haven’t strayed too much from the original recipe from Nadine Abensur but every time I make this soup it’s slightly different. It always features carrot, celery, fennel as the fragrant base which I love for their Spleen Qi tonifying (digestion promoting) properties. And I like to add more parsley which is especially good this time of year for clarifying the Liver and removing toxins. Another favourite addition is celery seed. It’s not easy to come by, but it adds extra fragrance and health properties beneficial for this time of year.
Surprisingly hearty yet light, you really do feel good eating this soup.
Dice 1 fennel bulb, a carrot and 1-2 sticks of celery and a medium sized potato.
Chuck into a large cast iron pot or soup pot with a small glug of olive oil, heat to sizzling then add a teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of celery seed (optional), reduce heat and pop on the lid for about 2 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
Add in 1 litre of stock or water. I usually have some home made veg stock on hand, or a good quality veg stock like this Hilde Hemms Organics stock. Throw in a chunk or two of reserved parmesan rind, a crushed clove or two of garlic (it becomes really sweet when added after the liquid), bring to the a simmer then reduce heat and low-simmer for 12 minutes until vegetables are al-dente.
Add a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas and a handful of chopped fresh parsley, simmer a further 2 minutes. If any foam appears on top, skim to keep the broth clear.
Check for seasoning and adjust. Serve with fresh grind of pepper, and if you like some fresh grated parmesan.
