Monday, November 5, 2012

Chickpea-Tomato Soup

The blog is back!!

I took a long, long hiatus for a variety of reasons, but I'm feeling inspired lately and want to try a fresh approach. 

The two biggest reasons I hear from people trying to be healthy are 1.) Eating well is too expensive and 2.) cooking takes too much time. 

Well, I found a recipe that solves BOTH issues.  I love soup during the fall and winter, but I usually opt for homemade--that way I control the ingridients and ESPECIALLY the sodium.

Thanks to my favorite veganist, Kathy Freston for this one!  It's creamy, healthy and CHEAP!  I'm not a vegan, but I can't argue with delicious!    

My notes are in italics.

Almost-Instant Chickpea-Tomato Soup
(Took me about 15 minutes from start to finish--EASY!)
[less than $1/serving]
Serves 4
This creamy rich-tasting soup couldn’t be easier or more economical. It’s also good served chilled.


Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup plain unsweetened soy milk (or other non-dairy milk) (I used almond milk because that's what I prefer)
Salt (I also added black pepper)
Ground cayenne (Be careful here.  You may not taste it right away, but the flavor comes out as the soup heats up.  Don't burn your mouth out!)
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro or parsley
 
Directions
1. In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine the chickpeas and garlic and process until finely ground.
2. Add the tomatoes, cumin, juice, oil, 1/2 cup of the soy milk, and salt and cayenne, to taste. Blend until smooth.
3. Add as much of the remaining 1/2 cup of soy milk as needed to achieve desired consistency—not too thin or too thick—and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more salt and cayenne, if necessary.
4. Transfer the soup to a saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, until hot, about 5 minutes. If serving hot, ladle into bowls, top with minced cilantro, and serve at once. If serving chilled, let the soup cool to room temperature, then transfer to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours. Then ladle into soup bowls and garnish with the cilantro.
 
Splurge a Little: Garnish with chopped pitted kalamata olives.