Sunday Soup

Posted November 30th, 2008 by Meg

I spent Sunday morning making my lunch for the day (and hopefully the week). I found a recipe for Creamy Chickpea Soup that sounded simple and delicious. I ate a big bowl for lunch and enjoyed it so much that I figured I should share it with the world. It’s not the most aesthetically appealing soup and looks like a runny peanut butter (which I don’t think is so bad), but it is filling, creamy, and most importantly awesome (because I made it). Recipe is included after the jump.

Step 1. Boil / Simmer

Step 2. Blend

Step 3. Serve

Creamy Chickpea Soup

6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallots
1/4 cup minced celery
2 tsp minced garlic (1 medium clove)
1/2 tsp minced rosemary
4 cups low-sodium organic vegetable or chicken broth (I used chicken)
2 (15 oz) low-sodium cans or 3 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp low-sodium tomato paste
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pper
2 tbsp snipped chives

Heat the oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and celery and cook for ~3 minutes, until veggies begin to soften. Add garlic and rosemary and cook 30 seconds. Add broth, chickpeas, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Bring soup to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until chickpeas are soft.

When the soup is finished cooking, remove it from the heat and let cool slightly. Purée the soup in batches in a blender.. If soup is too thick, add a little water. Serve garnished with chives. I didn’t use chives, but I added garlic chili for heat.

Yields 4.5 cups. (1 serving = 1 1/8 cup)
Nutritional analysis per serving: 395 calories, 24 g fat, 3g, saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 8g fiber,10 g protein, 37 g carbohydrates, 506 mg sodium.