There are some recipes I ate as a kid that just don’t hold up as well anymore. Whether it’s that my tastebuds have changed, my learned knowledge for seasoning makes them seem bland, or that pasta isn’t always synonymous with perfection anymore, I could name a few of these meals.
This soup isn’t one of them. Since I was little, it’s been an annual autumn meal and remains a favorite to this day. Something about its combination of spices, herbs and seasonal veggies make it to be what I consider one of the best soup recipes out there. And I say this amidst prime-time season for creamy butternut squash, lentil, and the million of other options coming into abundance right now.
This “Gypsy Soup” from Moosewood simply kills it.
Moosewood is a vegetarian restaurant up in Ithaca New York that’s been firing food since the 1970s. They’ve cultivated quite an abundance of cookbooks under their name, including the hand-written original where this recipe comes from.
You may wish to consider doubling the recipe. It’s an easy one to eat all week, or for freezing and pulling out on nights where you just need something warm.
Serve alongside fresh-out-of-the-oven cornbread, or a warm, crusty bread. You could also pour it over a nutty grain, like millet.
Ingredients
- -3-4 Tbsp. olive oil
- -2 cups chopped onion
- -2 cloves crushed garlic
- -2 cups chopped, peeled sweet potatoes or winter squash (I like to do a cup of each)
- -1/2 cup chopped celery
- -1 cup chopped, fresh tomatoes (or substitute 1 can of tomatoes)
- -3/4 cup chopped sweet bell pepper
- -1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
- -3 cups stock or water
- -2 tsp. paprika
- -1 tsp. turmeric
- -1 tsp. basil
- -1 tsp. salt
- -Dash of cinnamon
- -Dash of cayenne
- -1 bay leaf
- -1 Tbs. tamari
Instructions
- In a large saucepan saute onions, garlic, celery, and sweet potatoes in olive oil for about five minutes. Add seasonings except tamari, and the stock or water. Simmer, covered, fifteen minutes. Add remaining vegetables and chickpeas. Simmer another 10 minutes or so until all the vegetables are as tender as you like them.
- Check salt. Add tamari if it could use a little more. Serve alongside cornbread or a crusty harvest bread.
8 Comments
Cara's Healthy Cravings
October 18, 2015 at 10:17 pmYou can always count in Moosewood for a good soup recipe, eh?!
This looks quite delish, I love the seasonings.
Grace @FoodFitnessFreshAir
October 19, 2015 at 9:04 amAgreed! Moosewood has some great comforting classics.
Maggie
April 26, 2018 at 9:11 pmThe original cookbooks are the best!
Emily
October 21, 2015 at 11:57 amLove the little fox plate:)
Free Orthodox Menu Plan Lenten Meal Planning Made Simple! - The Enduring Home
February 29, 2016 at 6:10 pm[…] fast – Gypsy Vegetable Soup […]
Staci
January 13, 2017 at 12:15 amThis has been a go to for me for the last two years. It’s by far my favorite soup. It’s perfect.
Maggie
April 26, 2018 at 10:06 pmENORMOUS YUM!
Jill
November 29, 2018 at 3:59 pmMy favotite soup recipe!! If I don’t have chickpeas, I use about 3/4 to 1 cup of those tiny red lentils. They are delicious in this recipe, too.