Since the temperature has been on the rise, I’ve been focusing on using the oven and stovetop less often by preparing recipes which keep the kitchen (and me) cool.
Because I was looking for a change from chilled madzoon (yogurt) soup, I decided to switch gears and make one with chickpeas and tahini. This dish is basically a pourable version of hummus. It’s easy to prepare, and with the vegetable topping, it’s like having soup and salad all in one bowl!
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| Chilled Chickpea and Tahini Soup |
Yields about 4 to 4 ½ cups
Soup Ingredients:
2-15oz. cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Dash of ground cumin
Dash of cayenne pepper, optional
½ tsp. Kosher salt
1 small garlic clove
2 to 3 tablespoons tahini
Vegetable Topping Ingredients:
½ cup roasted red pepper, diced (chopped tomatoes may be substituted)
½ European cucumber, chopped –or- 2 Persian cucumbers
¼ cup chopped sweet – or – red onion
¼ cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
2 Tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Crumbled feta cheese- or – toasted pine nuts, optional
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| Step #1 |
 Vegetable Topping |
3. Just before serving, stir chickpea mixture. If it has thickened, add a little more water. Pour into individual serving bowls; top each with a spoonful of vegetable mixture and some crumbled Feta cheese or toasted pine nuts, if desired. Drizzle with additional olive oil.
