When I first meet Tim, I told him most of my family’s favorite meals were soups. He had this quizzical look upon his face… which for some reason he often has when talking to me… and said he just didn’t think of soup as a meal. After I made him my first soup… thick and rich… wholesome and filling… he changed his mind. I LOVE getting other people’s favorite soup recipes. I want to thank Laurie Anne for her recipe for Gypsy Mermaid Soup and sharing her soupy story! The soup sounds great and I can’t wait to try it. Make sure to stop by Laurie Anne’s Blog, The Rebel Blossom, (edit: this blog is no longer active) and say “hi”! Remember, if you have a favorite fall recipe you would like to share, email it to us at weefolkart@yahoo.com.

This recipe has been in my family for many years now but it was never on paper…every time someone makes it, they tweak it and it tastes a little bit different.
I remember my Nanny Ilda making it while I sat at the table with my grandpa Jerry {who was a sailor} and he would tell me stories of his travels…I was always captivated by him and his stories. This led to my nickname of ‘gypsy mermaid’ and the soup my grandma made was dubbed Gypsy Mermaid Soup. I don’t know exactly what was in it but I did find a soup recipe that seemed similar and have tweaked it to taste ‘almost’ exactly like Nanny Ildas. It’s Divine…
So here goes:

Gypsy Mermaid Soup

Saute in Pan:

3 Tblsp Olive Oil
2 cups Onion chopped
4 medium Garlic cloves, chopped
Cook until Onion becomes translucent

Then add:

1 cup of Mild Sausage chopped, or small cooked Shrimp
Cook for two minutes

Now add:

1 stalk Celery chopped
3 medium Tomatoes peeled, seeded and chopped.
Cook for 2 minutes and remove from heat.

In a Large Pot:

4 cups of water or vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup Sweet Potato cubed
1 cup white Potato cubed
2 large Carrots sliced

Add:

1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Turmeric
Dash of Cinnamon
Dash of Cayenne
2 Bay Leaves
Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer until Potatoes are done, check doneness with fork.

Now add Sauted mixture to the Pot and
1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro chopped ( Italian flat leaf Parsely may be used here instead )
1 can Chick Peas rinsed and draine
Give everything a good stir to combine flavours and Cook for 5 minutes.

Serve with alot of warm fresh crusty bread, a glass of good wine and reminisce of Autumns past..

Peace and Love! x