Chickpea and Spinach Soup: Light and Filling

Serves: 6 | Prep Time: 5 Minutes | Cooking Time: 25 Minutes

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Ingredients

• 3 tbs. olive oil

• 1 head of garlic minced/grated

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and washed (or one 15.5 oz can)

• 2 tbs. onion powder

• 1 tbs. dried thyme

• 1 tsp. mango powder

• 1 tsp. cumin powder

• 1 tbs. paprika

• 4 cups water

• 1 tbs. miso paste or vegetable bouillon

• 1 tbs. tomato paste

• 1 inch ginger piece (I use a frozen one)

• 2 cups of spinach (frozen or fresh)

• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast

• Salt to taste

• 2 tbs. cashew cream or 1/2 cup plant-based milk

Directions

1. Grate or finely chop the garlic. Heat up the oil in pot, medium-low heat. When hot, add garlic and sauté  for about a minute, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn.
2. Add the chickpeas and stir so the chickpeas are coated in the garlic oil. After about a minute, add the spice powders until they blend with the chickpeas and oil. This doesn’t take long, about a few seconds.
3. Add water, bouillon, tomato paste, and ginger. Stir until the paste and bouillon bend with the water. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, making sure you’re on medium-low heat.
4. Add spinach and nutritional yeast. If simmer again for another 10 minutes if you’re using frozen spinach. If using fresh, a few minutes until the spinach soften is good.
5. Turn off heat and add cream. If you’re using a ginger piece, make sure to remove it before serving.

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I love a good Indian chickpea spicy curry or channa masala, but it can get a bit heavy for me. I wanted to create a recipe that was more soupy, but still full of bold flavors and provide a hearty meal.  From this craving, chickpea and spinach soup was created.

This recipe is great when you’re feeling under the weather. When you crave and need comforting food but only have pantry ingredients or want to stick to a plant-based meal. I made this for my husband when he had a sore throat and he loved it. This is a recipe I’ll be freezing, since it’s great for a quick filling and nutrition packed-meal. 

Using traditional Indian spices, such as mango powder and cumin, you can easily make this recipe with ingredients you already have in the kitchen. A little trick: I always keep frozen ginger. I buy bulk ginger from Costco, blend them with a bit of water, and put them on ice trays. They are a lifesaver! If you're a garlic lover like me, you can also keep peeled garlic in the fridge or bottled mince garlic. I used fresh garlic for this recipe, but this can be substituted.

You can eat this chickpea and spinach soup as is or add a crackers or quinoa. But make sure to maintain the soupy quality.