If you like lemon, you'll love this powerful Greek lemon soup.
I am not certain of the authentic origin of this recipe since my mother-in-law's cooking was influenced by so many cultures: her Italian mother, her Egyptian and Armenian neighbors, her Greek friends, and her Syrian mother-in-law. She loved to try all kinds of cooking.
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| This is one of my mother's antique bowls from the 1950's! |
I attributed this recipe to her Greek friends and called named it a Greek recipe.
It's made with celery, potatoes, zucchini, garlic, lemon, chickpeas, and turmeric. I imagine this frugal recipe was a good meal stretcher for my husband's large family of seven. They often added rice when eating it.
Lemon is a common ingredient in Mediterranean cooking. This flavorful soup is extra lemony and imparts a tangy flavor to the celery and potatoes.
Turmeric turns the soup bright yellow while the generous amount of garlic adds a flavor that only garlic can boast.
Nutritionally, you will not only benefit from antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, the chickpeas in the soup provide protein as well.
Author of Blog: Judee Algazi
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time for IP: 5 minutes (plus pre-heat time)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Olive or avocado oil
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
2 cups of chopped russet potato (about 1 very large)
2 cups of chopped celery
1 cup chopped zucchini
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1/3 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 cups of vegetable broth
2 cups of water (1 cup for the Instant Pot)
1 cup of cooked chickpeas (canned or homemade)
Additional fresh lemon juice to taste
Cracked pepper to taste
Directions For Stove Top:
Spray or coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil. Add garlic, potatoes, celery, zucchini, turmeric and mix well. Sauté for 2-3 minutes stirring, frequently. Add vegetable broth, water, chickpeas and lemon juice. Stir and cook covered for 30 minutes (checking occasionally to see if it needs stirring) until potatoes are soft. Add black pepper and additional lemon juice, if desired.
Directions for Instant Pot:
Spray or coat the bottom of the insert liner the Instant Pot with oil. Add garlic, potatoes, celery, zucchini, turmeric and mix well. Sauté for 2-3 minutes stirring, frequently. Add vegetable broth, water, chickpeas and lemon juice. Secure the lid, close steam valve, and set to pressure cook for 5 minutes. When done, release steam according to the manufacturer's directions. When all steam is released, carefully open the lid. Taste and add pepper and additional lemon juice if desired.
Notes: All of my recipes are mostly vegan and entirely gluten-free
