It must be the weather (because I am definitely not pregnant!)..but I have been CRAVING big bowls of soup lately! Last week, I met my lovely friend Jessica for lunch at a restaurant that I have been wanting to try for AGES, Souper Jenny. If you live in Atlanta, you have definitely heard all of the rave reviews about this little restaurant. Obviously, they specialize in their daily array of soups…and the soup was amazing- but the also serve a rotating variety of wonderfully creative salads- I got this fabulous roasted kale and asparagus salad that I have been dreaming about ever since!
The salad was amazing, but the star of my lunch show was definitely the warm, soothing and slightly spicy curried chickpea soup that I ordered. It was so good, that I went to the store and bought chickpeas so that I could make my own, lighter version! This recipe is super healthy (lots of protein and dietary fiber) but hearty and satisfying at the same time. And, it can easily be made vegan by using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock!
Curried Chickpea Soup
Makes 4 large servings
2 large celery stocks, Chopped
1 medium onion, Chopped
2 cans chick peas, 1 can drained *save the juice of the other can
1 T curry powder
1/4 t ginger, ground
1/4 t coriander, ground
1/2 t cumin, ground
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t sea salt
2 T brown sugar
1 1/2 C chicken stock
1/2 C light coconut milk (or skim milk if you prefer)
2 C baby spinach leaves
In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, sauté the onion and celery for 3 minutes. Add the chickpeas, chickpea juice, curry powder, ginger, coriander, cumin, garlic, sea salt and brown sugar. Stir until everything is well combined. Now, add the chicken stock, cover the pot and cook on medium for 45 minutes. Add the coconut or skim milk and then stir in the spinach. The soup is ready to serve! I like to top mine with a teaspoon of raw coconut shavings.
