Recipe: Vegetarian Moroccan Chickpea Soup

I'm thinking we all need a healthy option after Shrimp & Grits last night....

I made this earlier this week, and just lunched on leftovers: outstanding! This incredibly flavorful soup is straightforward to make, and inexpensive. I serve with toasted whole wheat pita for a very healthy and flavorful meal.

Deb

Adapted from Gourmet: November 2000

Moroccan Chickpea Soup


2 14-19 oz cans chickpeas
Water
1 (35-oz) can whole tomatoes, drained
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 small celery rib (including leaves), finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil or unsalted butter
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup lentils ( brown or green french)
1/2 cup orzo pasta
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
zest from 1/2 lemon
1/2 lemon- juiced

Accompaniment: lemon wedges ( optional)

Preparation
Drain chickpeas, reserving liquid. Add water to chickpea liquid to make 2 1/2 cups liquid. Set aside.

Coarsely purée tomatoes in a food processor.

Cook onion and celery in butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add turmeric, cumin, pepper, and cinnamon and cook, stirring, 3 minutes.

Stir in tomato purée, 1/3 cup cilantro, chickpeas with reserved liquid, vegetable broth, and lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, about 25 minutes. Stir in orzo and cook, stirring occasionally , until lentils are tender, about 8-10 minutes.

Stir in parsley, remaining 1/3 cup cilantro, zest, lemon juice and salt to taste.

Stupid question - Are those dried lentils?

Michele,

Yep, the dried ones you get in the lb bags. I used French green lentils because I had them on hand, but this would be great with the standard brown lentils. ( Lentils are great in soups because unlike most other dried beans, they cook quickly and don't need to be pre-soaked).

If you end up making it, let me know how it comes out. BTW- it makes alot of soup and it freezes perfectly.

Deb

I have a Sacred Harp convention this weekend and they usually have different soups on Saturday night. This sounds like a great one! Many Thanks!


How many servings would you say this makes?

Don't know servings, but we had it for two for one meal, then three lunches and another whole container in the freezer. I guess I'd say 8-10 servings depending on the size of the bowl.

Deb

I'm planning to try this after I had something similar at Cafe Classico. Thanks for posting this!

I made a big batch of a take on this. It turned out very nicely. Dinner last night and bento lunch today with couscous mixed in.