A few weekends ago, I treated myself to a new cookbook.
My collection at home is pretty small compared to my mom’s and is predominantly made up of baking books, so I definitely deserved a new one. Anyways, I spent about twenty minutes in the bookstore making sure I had chosen the best one at the best possible price. I am extremely fussy when it comes to everything outside of eating. If something doesn’t fit the criteria I’m looking for, I’ll say good-bye. It has to have a certain rustic, wholesome feel and the paper must be matte. Anything else is out of the question. I don’t do glossy paper - it just drives me insane. I eventually found Moro East. My mom has the first one in the series so I immediately knew it was perfect. The photos are super natural, the paper matte, and the price unbeatable. Even better - the recipes are superb. Often when you buy a cookbook, you love everything embedded in the pages, but never really come around to cooking any of it - maybe it’s the confusing instructions or the ingredients are hard to find. I knew that this would not be the case with Moro East. It’s filled with simple recipes using accessible and substitutable ingredients, and the directions are completely modifiable. This is my kind of cooking and that’s exactly what I did with this celery and bean soup.
This recipe, adapted from Moro East, is a warm soup filled with textures and flavours of all kinds. The broth is tomato-based filled with celery, butter beans, and sweet cooked onions. It’s seasoned with fennel seeds, which complement the sweetness of the onions and the earthy flavour of the celery - best served with a squeeze of lemon and some good crispy bread.
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Hearty Tomato, Celery and Bean Soup
Serves 4 people
Ingredients:
- 10 tbs olive oil
- 1 large red onion, roughly chopped
- 1 large head of celery with leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp seas salt
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp crushed fennel seeds
- 500g chopped canned tomatoes
- 250g canned butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 400ml vegetable or chicken stock
Method:
Place a large saucepan over a medium heat and add 6 tbs of olive oil. Once hot, add the chopped onions, celery, and sea salt. Cook for 10 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally so that it doesn’t burn.
Next, add the garlic, fennel seeds, and chopped tomatoes. Mix together. Then add the remaining ingredients to the pan and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle bubble and leave to cook for another 10 minutes covered with a lid.
After 10 minutes, taste the soup and adjust seasoning if needed. Pour the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil over the soup and serve with lemon wedges and crispy bread.
Originally Posted On Ben’s Kitchen Blog
Happy cooking!
–Ben
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