Monday, June 9, 2014

French Lemon Artichoke Soup

lemon artichoke soup
This lemony lip smacking mixture of artichokes, onions, celery, zucchini, and young potatoes is a delectable soup could be the Middle Eastern version of French ratatouille- same idea- different ingredients. Cooked until soft and blended, this thick"chamid" is often eaten over rice.
 
To make this dish a complete meal, just add 1 cup of cooked chick peas and eat over rice.

The very first time I tasted "chamid" was at my mother in law's house when I was first dating my husband. I was nineteen years old  and had never tasted anything like it. 

My husband- to- be's family was Middle Eastern  but cooked, what was to my palate, very unusual flavors. My husband's family lived in a Middle Eastern country that spoke French and ate many French dishes.   

My background was of Eastern European descent and my mother cooked with spices such as sweet paprika, onion powder and garlic powder as flavorings in her food. While my mother- in- law to be used lots of fresh garlic, fresh onions, ground cumin, fresh lemon juice and turmeric in her food. 

It was love at first bite for me. 

                                    vegan artichoke soup

My mother- in- law origianlly made "Chamid " for a variety of reasons.
  1. She was a new immigrant in the United States, had a big family to feed and had to really stretch a dollar. "Chamid" can be made rather frugally and satiate a large family.
  2. It's healthy and loaded with vegetables, turmeric, garlic, and onions- all things that are full of antioxidants which are needed to boost the immune system. 
  3. It just tastes so darn good. The lemony flavor and the bright yellow color are so inviting and delicious.  (I make my "chamid" vegetarian; My mother- in- law uses chicken stock as a base for her "chamid" )
So there you have it - a delicious, satisfying, health giving real food recipe that's frugal to boot. Eat it over cooked rice or cooked quinoa and add chick peas if you want to serve as a meal. 

Ingredients; 
3 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped fine or pressed.
2 onions, diced
5 stalks of celery ,diced
2 potatoes,  diced ( any kind)
1/2 zucchini , sliced in thin half moon 
1/2 bag of frozen artichokes ( Trader Joe's or any brand)
Vegetable broth for sautéing 
1 teaspoon Turmeric- so healthy for you and adds the beautiful color 
Salt and pepper to taste ( after you add the broth- you may not need salt) 
1/2 cup  freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups water 
3 cups vegetable broth 
Optional: Add cooked cooked chickpeas to make this a complete meal
Beware: Turmeric stains. Do not get it on a tablecloth or your clothes.

Directions: Sautee the garlic, onions, and celery in a little vegetable broth until translucent. Add the potatoes, zucchini, and frozen artichokes and continue to sautee for about 5 minutes. Add the water, broth, turmeric, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed  lemon juice. Cover and cook ( stirring frequently)on low covered until all vegetables are soft ( stir often) add a mixture of water and lemon if more liquid is needed. This makes a rich, but meager amount of soup. It is best eaten over rice like a stew.  
 We love it over a cup of cooked Jasmine Rice..

                          




May be shared on a few of the following    blog carnivals,  Food of the World for June and SouperSundays

To see the many other healthy gluten free recipes, healthy living tips, kitchen and blogging ideas that I pin each day, follow me on Pinterest Gluten Free A-Z  and Twitter .


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10 comments:

  1. This is a soup to be dealt with and I want to deal with it. Looks scrumptious.

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  2. How lovely and light I love the artichokes in this version. Thanks for sharing it on Food of the World.

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  3. Mm, my husband isn't big on lemons, but I think this sounds delightful! Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friday

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  4. This sounds absolutely delicious and has some of my favorite ingredients! Can't wait to try it:)

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  5. Such a fabulous soup--love the lemon and artichoke combination. I am tagging it to try soon. ;-)
    Thanks for sharing it with Souper Sundays this week.

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  6. This sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friends Friday and I hope that you will join us this week for our special 100th party.

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  7. Hi Judee,
    I love soup and I can just imagine how delicious the blend of ingredients in this amazing recipe will taste when I make it!Thank you for sharing your lemony artichoke soup recipe with us at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop! We appreciate it!

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  8. I just love the lemon and artichoke combination. Thanks so much for sharing this awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

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  9. While I'm not much for lemony desserts, I adore lemon in savory dishes and completely agree with you about how wonderful lemon is in a dish like this. Thank you for sharing, Judee.

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  10. This soup sounds absolutely delicious, Judee. The lemon must give such a lovely flavour. I love old family recipes like this. Thank you for sharing it! Pinned to my soups board on Pinterest:-)

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