Immune-Boosting Chickpea and Roasted Garlic Soup

This healthy soup is thick and wonderfully rich. Chickpeas help the digestive system, which in turn helps clear up complexion problems. The garlic turns sweet when roasted and provides a boost for your immune system.

Serves six to eight.

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas
• 1 large head roasted garlic (see recipe below)
• 2 tsp freshly chopped rosemary
• 2 quarts chicken stock
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground white pepper
• Juice and zest from 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

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In a soup pot, heat the olive oil under medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and sauté for 10 minutes. Add the chickpeas, roasted garlic, rosemary and chicken stock. Cook for 20 minutes.

Transfer soup to a blender in batches and puree until smooth (or use an immersion blender). Return pureed soup to the pot and reheat. Taste and adjust seasons. Just before serving, add the lemon juice, lemon zest and parsley and stir to combine.

Roasted Garlic Recipe

• 1 large garlic head
• 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground white pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the top quarter of each head of garlic. Place the garlic in aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the aluminum foil around the garlic and roast 45 minutes.

Removed the garlic from the oven and allow to cool. Squeeze all the garlic out of the skins into a small bowl. Add the parsley, salt and pepper.