December Market Soup

We were gifted recently with some bulk beans and grains, and it's been a treat to come up with soups that use both these staples and the lovely fall vegetables from the farmers market. I think I am getting the hang of making soup that uses what's on hand. I was feeling quite virtuous about my frugality and creativity when I rememinded myself that this what cooks have been doing for eons - using what's on hand and making it attractive and tasty. It makes sense for this generation to relearn the trick of making do - and doing it well.

Today's soup used garbanzos, canned tomatoes and curry from the pantry - and sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, greens, and turnips from the market.  The curry seemed to me to go with the garbanzos. I think a nice substitute might be white beans with rosemary and thyme (which grow here) or kidney/red beans/pintos and chli powder. Here's the approximate recipe we used today (I made 200 servings, so the proportions might be slightly different):

December Market Soup - 6 servings or so

One onion, chopped
Two garlic cloves, minced
Two tablespoons olive oil
Two teaspoons curry powder
Two cups diced tomatoes
One cup water
One sweet potato
One large turnip
1/2 cup washed and chopped greens (collard, mustard, turnip, or kale)
One cup cooked garbanzo beans
Salt to taste

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent. Stir in curry powder and saute about a minute more, till aromatic. Toss in the canned tomatoes and the water and bring to a boil. When boiling, add chopped sweet potato, turnip and greens and cook on medium (low boil) till veggies are tender. Add garbanzo beans and season to taste.

Comments

[Kim]

Isn't soup amazing? I love that you can start with water and a bunch of seemingly disparate ingredients and end up with a savory meal. Yum!

[Diedre]

I've been craving this soup since I ate it at the house last week. Since Sol is sick and we are homebound I'm going to make it today
Substituting Kale for collards though...

[Hannah Esty]

I've been making soup with all of the great fall harvest from our garden and the market here all month. I like the garbanzo bean and curry idea- I will have to use it! :)