After 10 hours of driving over two days, I was ready for something simple, delicious, and nutritious. A sad subway sandwich (Veggie Delite = lettuce on bread?) left me craving a nutrient-rich, comforting soup. I’ve come to discover that finding Pescetarian-friendly food on road trips is next to impossible. Fortunately, my destination of Moscow, Idaho had a lovely food co-op where I was able to pick up a delicious and fresh tabouli salad for the trip home. Note to self - pack a picnic for the next road trip…

As I was scrolling through Instagram on a lazy Monday evening, I stumbled upon this super easy, delicious recipe. The picture caught my eye and the description sold me! I had all the ingredients on hand (minus fresh parsley, in which case you can sub dried parsley), which is always a major bonus. And did I mention how easy it is??

Bon Appetit!

Fresh rosemary from the garden - yum!

Mise en place - I didn’t have any on hand, but try substituting whole-wheat pasta for an extra punch of fiber!

Beautiful colors!

Clipped a few too many branches - makes a pretty “flower” alternative! Plus, you can save extra sprigs for another recipe!

The noodles in the soup soak up a lot of the broth, so if you want more of a soup and less of a stew when reheating, I suggest adding a little extra veggie broth.

Topped with a fresh grating of parmesan! All that’s missing is a handful of fresh, chopped parsley…

CHICKPEA AND PASTA SOUP

Recipe from Saveur.com, adapted from Jamie’s Italy

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 3 sprigs rosemary, minced
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1-15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 8 ounces cavatelli (or any other small Italian soup pasta shape, such as ditalini)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tablespoons minced parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried parsley)
• Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add celery, carrot, onion, and rosemary and cook until soft, about 8-10 minutes.
2. Add vegetable stock and chickpeas. (If using dried parsley, add now). Simmer 5 minutes.
3. Remove half the chickpeas and puree until smooth. Return chickpeas to pan.
4. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley and serve with parmesan cheese.