Tuscan Bean and Celery Soup

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Kid Rock ~ Forever
Jamie Cullum ~ Seven Days To Change Your Life
Bonnie Raitt ~ My Opening Farewell
The Zutons ~ Long Time Coming
Roxette ~ It Must Have Been Love
KT Tunstall ~ Fade Like A Shadow
The Eagles ~ In The City
Live ~ Untitled
Beth Rowley ~ I Shall Be Released
Michelle Branch ~ Empty Handed 
The Charlie Daniels Band ~ The Devil Went Down To Georgia
Doris Day ~ Its A Lonely Day Today
Joan Jett ~ Pretty Vacant 
Jamie Cullum ~ Everlasting Love

How has your week started folks? Mine has been challenging. lol. I can laugh now...just. Yesterday we were hosting a family lunch for a special birthday treat but during Saturday I seemed to have picked up a nasty lurgy/bug and by the sitting down to eat lunch time I felt like I had been body slammed into the floor. As did my sister and her little son so we were trying our best to be part of the events but trying not to get close to anyone else in case we infected them. Not a nice thing to pass on to someone on their 70th birthday, is it? 

ML is also away with work this work and is currently roaming the Bulgarian town of Sofia and therefore had a 4.30am start so was hoping to not pick up the lurgy too. Then after the days events were over and a suitcase was hastily packed and final details sorted we crashed into bed. Due to my lurgy I was wide awake by 2am and so therefore decided to listen to a Podcast which isn't an unusual event during my nights. Only to find it wouldn't work so after much swearing sneezing filled attempts to sort it out I realised our electric was off. I woke ML to go investigate and after nearly an hour of tests it was deemed that my lovely larder style fridge was the cause. I had a fridge crammed full with fresh veggies for the week ahead so this was not a good thing and of course...the warranty has indeed just run out. (Arghhh!)

This morning has been trying...ML left for the airport and my lurgy had progressed to the 'can't lift my head off of the pillow' stage. Our friend Jim who is an electrician (bless him) had been called from an airport and had promised to come in and assess the situation for me. I dragged myself out of bed and made myself a gram flour omelette stuffed with chillies, ginger and garlic to help clear some of the passages and got on with my morning. My sister came in for her Monday morning visit and we sat at the dining table catching up but both feeling like hell. We like to share...lol. Then shortly after she left to pick up the littlest one Jim arrived and after a few checks announced our fridge was kaput unless we are very lucky and after a week of drying out it works again but it was a small chance...*insert expletive therapy here*.....did I mention I feel seven shades of Yuck? lol Urgh. 

Happy Monday Red...but I try and remember to breathe and make myself realise that things could get a lot worse. Then I got a phone call from the hospital....*shaking head* Yep it could definitely get worse. My peaceful week of home alone time is not going as I had hoped, you know? lol. Did you pick up on that? OK I've vented enough and I will get a grip...eventually...

Today's recipe is one from Linda Majzilk's A Vegan Taste of Italy cookbook. It is a fab little cookbook and I use it often. This soup is not one for those of you that can't take a lot of celery in one hit. I'll be honest I didn't think I was one of those people but when I first tasted this soup I feared I might be. But once I was onto my third spoonful my taste buds had adjusted and I was greatly enjoying this soup. It's clean and simple and a great way to use up leftover beans and celery that has lost its freshness. I adapted the recipe slightly and that is the version I have provided below.

Right I have appointment with a bowl of Chilli & Ginger Noodle Soup and an episode of Scandal. Achooooooooo! Urgh. 

Tuscan Bean and Celery Soup

Tuscan Bean and Celery Soup     Serves 4
(Recipe from A Vegan Taste of Italy/Majzilk)

1lb/450g cooked cannellini beans
8oz/225g celery, trimmed and sliced
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
30 fl oz/900ml vegetable stock 
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the celery and onion for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until it is heated and fragrant. Add half of the beans and the veggie stock, parsley and bay leaf. Season with black pepper and stir well. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then remove the bay leaf and blend the soup until smooth. Return to the rinsed pan and add the remaining beans. Reheat, whilst stirring, over a low heat and then serve...

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Monday has been kind to you...lol 

~Red~ 

NB: This recipe is not mine and therefore I take no credit for it. It is the hard work and creation of Linda Majzlik and hers alone. ~R~