Soupa Green

Rainy spring days have me wanting healthy soups. Not the dense soups of Fall but something both warm and bright. Enter SOUPA GREEN! A vegan Spring soup that uses the veggies of the season that just all happen to be green. Note - the peas and the splash of lemon juice MAKE this soup. I add beans for protein and some bite, you could also add a small pasta in this soup if you'd like to make it even heartier.

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch of green onions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
• 3 celery stalks, sliced then diced
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 quarts low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 cup of cannellini beans* (see note below)
• 6 stalks of asparagus, trimmed and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 diced zucchini
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 clamshell (5 oz) super greens, baby kale or baby spinach
• Juice of ½ or 1 lemon (depending on your love for lemon)
• Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
• Hot sauce or grated Parmesan for serving (optional) 

Note on beans: You can use 1 or 2 cans of cannellini beans, rinsed OR you can cook OVERNIGHT SOAKED cannellini beans in the soup. But if you’re cooking the beans in the soup, you may need another quart or even two of the chicken or vegetable stock so have those on hand! If you’re cooking the beans in the stock, the result will be better beans but will require a much longer cooking time, just FYI

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a heavy soup pot, heat the oil over medium. Add green onions and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and stir for about 2 minutes. If you’re using uncooked, soaked beans, add them here. Then add stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until beans are to your desired softness, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. If you’re using cooked, canned beans add them once the stock is simmering.
3. Add asparagus, zucchini and peas and cook until vegetables are tender. If your asparagus stalks are fat, add the stalks a few minutes before the tips and the rest of your veggies.
4. When you’re just about to serve, add the greens and lemon juice and season again with salt and pepper.
5. Divide soup into big bowls. Option to top with a little drizzle of hot sauce (I used sriracha) or with grated Parmesan.