Thursday, January 30, 2014

Easy Chickpea Soup and I Dig Chickpeas!

I dig chickpeas! There was a time in my life when I was eating chickpeas all day, everyday!

Easy Chickpea Soup
Shocked? Honestly, I did not think you would be. The purpose of this question is to solely gauge your attentiveness and such...

Filling and good for you! You can't beat that with a stick or two spoons, in my case.
Easy Chickpea Soup with Millet - surprise! 

Ingredients
1-2 tablespoons vegan butter/olive oil (I used vegan BUTTARRR!)
1 large onion, finely chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
4-5 medium sized carrots, peeled and shredded
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons chickpea flour, to thicken  (add at the end)
3-4 cups cooked chickpeas
7 cups strong vegetable broth (I used mushroom broth)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Millet Ingredients 
1 cup millet
2 cups strong vegetable broth
1 large bay leaf
1 teaspoon vegan butter/olive oil (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

I don't usually eat with two spoons, but in this instance, I am making an exception ;) 
Directions
Prepare the millet first. Toast the millet over a medium heat in medium/large sauce pan. No need to add fat when toasting. Be sure to pre-heat your sauce pan prior to beginning the toasting process. Continue toasting for about 5 minutes, and stir often. Add vegetable broth, bay leaf and vegan butter/olive oil, if using. Season with salt and pepper, if using. Stir, and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for about 15 minutes, until the broth has evaporated. Turn off the heat, keep covered, and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork when ready to serve.

*Don't have millet? No worries! Use favorite grain instead.


Mighty, mighty chickpea!
Now, let's make the soup.

In a large soup pot, sauté the onion, and shredded carrots in vegan butter, over a medium heat, for about 6-8 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, marjoram, turmeric, nutritional yeast, salt (about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon depending on broth seasoning) and freshly ground pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon) and continue sautéing for another 2 minutes or so. Add a splash of water, if necessary, to prevent from sticking.

Add vegetable broth, and bring to a boli. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low, add chickpeas and cook for about 10 minutes, until the chickpeas are heated through and the carrots are soft.

Turn off the heat. Ladle a cup of prepared soup into a bowl, combine with 3 tablespoons of chickpea flour. Use a whisk to combine and add it back to the soup. Stir, and taste for seasonings. Serve over 1/2 cup of millet and garnish with herbs of choice.

Cheers!

I served it with chopped dill because dill is awesome! 

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