Tomato, Fennel and Chickpea Soup with Garlic Toasts

There’s something about a tomato-based soup with chickpeas that makes for the perfect first course, no matter the weather. Could it be the vitamin C and lycopene? Or the protein and grounding nature of chickpeas? Or maybe the peppery, digestive help from the fennel? Or maybe, just maybe it’s simply Mother Nature at her best.

Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredient List:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled, left whole
• ½ red onion, diced
• 1/3 fennel bulb, diced
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 2 cups spring or filtered water
• 2 tablespoons white miso
• ½ cup cooked or canned chickpeas
• 2 stalks basil, leaves removed, shredded

Garlic Toasts

• 4 slices whole grain baguette
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 fresh garlic cloves, peeled, halved
• Sea salt

Step By Step Instructions:

In a medium soup pot, place a small amount of oil and the whole garlic cloves over medium heat. When the garlic begins to sizzle, remove the cloves and stir in diced onion and a pinch of salt. Sauté until translucent, about 1 minute. Stir in fennel, tomatoes and water; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until fennel is quite soft, about 10-15 minutes.

Make the garlic toasts. Place a small amount of olive oil in the bottom of a skillet. Rub the halved garlic cloves on the bread slices. Lay the bread in the skillet over medium heat and sprinkle lightly with salt. Cook, turning once, until the edges of the bread slices are golden brown.

Using an immersion blender or standard blender, puree the soup until smooth. Return to the pot and remove a small amount of hot broth. Puree the miso and stir back into soup with chickpeas. Simmer for 1-2 minutes more (to heat chickpeas).

Serve garnished with fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil.