Chickpea Soup
With lentils, veggies, and chickpeas in a coconut curry broth, this Chickpea Soup is packed with nutritious ingredients and is naturally vegan and dairy-free!
Servings: 6 servings
Cost: $6.43
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4 cups Vegetable stock or chicken stock
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup red lentils see note 1
- 2 (15.5-ounce) cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk divided, see note 2
- Toppings as desired see note 3
Instructions
- Open can of coconut milk and stir well. Remove 1/3 cup of coconut milk and set aside for later.
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots. Season to preference with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin, paprika, optional red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently until very fragrant, about 2-4 minutes. Add in can of undrained crushed tomatoes and cook, mixing and scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan for 1 minute.
- Add red lentils, vegetable stock, and all the coconut milk except the set aside 1/3 cup (see note 4). Bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add chickpeas, return lid to the pot and cook 10 more minutes. Remove lid and carefully transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender and purée until smooth (see note 5).
- Add the puréed soup back to the pot and stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and cilantro. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. If you prefer a thicker soup, blend it a bit more. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle reserved coconut milk on top, and serve with extra fresh cilantro, mint, and lemon wedges.
Video
Notes
Note 1: You’ll want to use dried red lentils for this soup. There is no need to soak the lentils, just rinse them off, and they're ready to go! Other types of lentils won't cook the same, so I don't recommend substitutions.
Note 2: Look for shelf-stable, unrefrigerated, cans of coconut milk. You’ll find canned coconut milk on the international aisle, with Latin or Asian products. Be sure to use full-fat coconut milk for the best flavor and thickness. Lite coconut milk won’t thicken and give you the rich, full flavor.
Note 3: I love to top this soup with 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro, and fresh mint leaves.
Note 4: I like the chickpeas to still have a nice chewiness to them, so I add them after the lentils have already simmered for 10 minutes. If you'd prefer softer chickpeas, add them in along with the lentils.
Note 5: When blending, make sure to secure the lid on tightly and select the "soup” or “hot” cycle. Increase speed slowly and watch it carefully to avoid soup exploding out or over. Remove the lid carefully as it will likely release a burst of steam. If your blender doesn’t have the correct setting, you can compensate by replacing the blender lid with a folded towel and holding it in place with your hands. This will help reduce steam pressure.
Storage: This soup becomes more flavorful as it sits and can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. It doesn't freeze well, as the veggies and lentils may become mushy. If you have too much soup, consider halving the recipe. To reheat, gently warm in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, and add a splash of water to thin it out if needed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 31.7g | Protein: 10.1g | Fat: 11.9g | Sodium: 661.4mg | Fiber: 7.8g | Sugar: 4.7g