Special Diets

Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Soup

• From: The Picky Eater

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish (Ok people, you totally do NOT need this much oil. I used 1 heaping Tbsp and it was more than enough!)

• 1 large onion, diced (can use red onion)

• 6-8 cloves garlic, pressed

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 heaping teaspoon sweet paprika

• 1 14.5-ounce can chopped tomatoes

• 3 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed well

• 1 quart vegetable broth

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 5-ounce package of prewashed baby spinach or 10-ounce bag of frozen spinach

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

The chickpeas provide fiber and protein, and the tomatoes and spinach give you a healthy dose of veggies, fiber, and antioxidants—and it's tasty too!

Directions

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until the onions begin to turn translucent; lower heat if browning starts to occur.
• Add spices and sauté a minute or so. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, broth, and sugar. Season with a couple pinches of salt and ten grinds fresh pepper. Stir well. Chickpeas should be just covered with liquid (add a little water if the level is shy).
• Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to low and gently simmer for 45 minutes.
• Remove soup from heat. Use a potato masher to mash up some of the chickpeas right in the pot. (I used a hand blender to make the soup a nice chunky consistency). Stir in the spinach and let heat through until wilted, just a couple minutes.
• Season again, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Ladle into bowls. The Secret Part: Add 1 Tbsp of Masala Lentil Dip to the bowl and stir into soup until combined through. The dip gives the soup an amazing flavor and really adds a kick to it! It totally amped up the flavor of what was otherwise a pretty average tasting soup. You can add a drizzle of EVOO on top if desired. I also served the soup with toasted pita chips which tasted great. You can also serve it with Greek Yogurt or a creamy cheese, I think both would taste good. Enjoy!