Chickpea Soup with Red Pepper Puree

12 years ago

Our pantry is stock-piled with so many canned products,
you’d think we were hoarders! It’s a habit we’ve developed from living in an
area where seasons are labeled ‘dry’ and ‘hurricane’, lasting from June
1^st through November 30^th. We have to keep non-perishables (and a hand-can
opener) available just in case the electricity goes out for a long period of
time.
We try to keep an accurate inventory list, and use
products in the order in which they were purchased. The culinary motto for this is:
“First in; First out”.

The dry season is finally here, so it’s time to use up
what we’ve purchased over the past 6 months.

Realizing there was an overload of canned chickpeas, I
browsed through some of my cookbooks for a recipe requiring a lot of chickpeas.
Happily, I found a soup recipe in an old cookbook,
which I adapted to suit our palates.

The soup is colorful, full of flavor and healthy. Serve with
crusty bread and crisp salad for a hearty meal that will bring a smile to your face!

Chickpea Soup with Red Pepper Puree

Chickpea Soup with Red Pepper Puree
Yield: 4 to 5 servings

Ingredients:

1 (7 oz.) jar roasted red peppers, drained

2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

2 tsp. lemon juice

¼ to ½ tsp. Aleppo red pepper

******

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, chopped

½ tsp. ground ginger, or to taste

¼ tsp. cumin, or to taste

Dash of salt

2 (15-oz.) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 (14 ½ oz.) cans chicken or vegetable broth

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

Directions:

For the Puree:

Red Pepper Puree

1. Using a blender or food processor, combine the roasted
peppers, 2 to 3 Tbsp. water, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, lemon juice, and Aleppo red
pepper. Puree until smooth; pour into a serving bowl and set aside.

For the Soup:

2. In a large saucepan, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. olive
oil over medium heat. Sautė the onion and carrots with the ginger, cumin, and
dash of salt until onion and carrots begin to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the chickpeas, the broth, and tomato paste.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until onions and carrots
are tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove about 1 cup
of chickpeas, onions and carrots and set aside.

4. Place the remaining soup into the blender, food
processor, or use an immersion blender, and puree. Return soup to saucepan with
the reserved chickpeas, onions and carrots; adjust seasoning, if necessary. Heat
through.

5. To serve: Place soup into individual bowls, drizzle
with Red Pepper Puree.