Garage Sale Soup

There's always a big pot of soup on the burner at contributor Jim Dixon's Olive Oil Garage Sale, and this year was no exception. This thick, luscious and hearty concoction is more of a stew than a soup, something we call "stoop" around here, and is perfect to ward off the chill while you sample and decide which of his delicious olive oils you're going to buy.

Garage Sale Soup

Soak a couple of cups of garbanzos overnight, then simmer in salted water until tender. Dice a medium onion, a couple of carrots, and a few celery stalks (I prefer the inner stalks with some leaves, too) and cook in extra virgin olive oil for a few minutes.

Add a peeled and diced celery root, a couple of yellow potatoes done the same way, a half head of green cabbage, chopped, and a bunch of lacinato kale (cavolo nero) cut in chiffonade. Pour in a large can of crushed tomatoes, the garbanzos and their cooking liquid, and a couple of cups of water. Toss in a healthy pinch of sea salt. Add a cup of so of polenta, then simmer for at least an hour.

Drizzle each bowl with more extra virgin olive oil.

For the tenth year in a row, Jim will be sampling a selection of olive oils, Katz vinegars and flor de sel at Great Wine Buys today (12/12) with his pal winemaker Andrew Rich, who will have current releases available for tasting. Great Wine Buys is at 1515 NE Broadway.