Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Chickpea Lentil Soup


I recently got a request from someone to post more lentil recipes.

Happy to oblige!

So this soup is super easy and uses ingredients that some people may just have lying around. I got this from a Veg News e-newsletter and it sounded good so I made it that day.

Now, you know I have to keep it real with all of you. I love my CV readers so I don’t want to lie to you. This soup is super easy to make, really low in calories, but it's a bit bland boring. If you want a basic and hearty soup, this will do the trick. Husband was NOT a fan, but he also isn’t really a big “soup person” all around.

Straight from the recipe, the flavors are basic and not anything crazy exciting. However, this is a great filling and inexpensive soup to make and freeze or pack for lunch for the week.

So although I am not giving it a rousing standing ovation I say try it for yourself. Add some more spices, throw more vegetables in, use a different lentil, or use some good quality vegetable broth! Add your own flair to it. Best part about soup is you can always make it your own with whatever you have.

Recipe and another photo after the jump…

Vegan Chickpea Lentil Soup
Source: Robin Robertson at Veg News Magazine

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 16-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup dried lentils (I used green)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
6 cups water
1 16-ounce can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons chopped parsley

In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat oil. Add the onion and garlic. Cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, lentils, turmeric, ginger, cumin, salt, pepper, and cardamom. Add water, cover, and cook until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.

Add chickpeas and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Chubby Vegan Notes
  • It says to use 6 cups of water, but I think substituting vegetable broth for at least half of that would definitely add a little more flavor.
  • I didn't have cardamom, so I used Garam Masala that had cardamom in it. I used a little bit more than a ¼ teaspoon.
  • I think this was a little better on day 2 when i had leftovers for lunch!
  • If you wanted to add more vegetables to this I think you could add carrots, snow peas, shelled edamame, or maybe pearl onions. Whatever really, be creative!

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