Chick Pea & Spinach Soup
Submitted by LindaLee
Chickpea and spinach soup spices a creamy chickpea base with curry, cardamom, and nutmeg, then folds in tender wilted spinach. Vegetarian, lightly creamy from skim milk and a partial puree, ready in under an hour.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
50 minChickpea and spinach soup is a low-effort vegetarian one-pot meal with surprising depth. The trick is the partial puree: blend a cup and a half of the cooked soup, then stir it back in. You get the creamy body of a blended soup with the textural interest of whole chickpeas and ribbons of greens.
The spice combination is what sets this apart. Cardamom and nutmeg are unusual choices for a savory soup, but they thread through the curry powder and turn the bowl into something that tastes like winter in Marrakech.
Sweating the onion and garlic covered, with no added oil, lets them cook in their own moisture for a clean flavor base. Skim milk replaces cream for body without weight. Just don’t let it boil too vigorously or it’ll curdle against the spices.
Washing the spinach in warm salted water, then chiffonading before adding, ensures even wilting and clean greens. Sandy spinach ruins the smoothest soup.
Pro Tips
- Crush whole cardamom pods and use the seeds for the freshest flavor. Pre-ground cardamom fades fast.
- Use canned chickpeas in a hurry, but homemade-from-dried have better texture and flavor.
- Stir constantly when the milk goes in, since dairy can scorch in seconds against direct heat.
- Serve with a squeeze of lemon at the table to brighten the whole bowl.
Variations
- Stir in a tablespoon of tahini at the end for nuttier richness.
- Top with a swirl of plain yogurt and a dusting of smoked paprika for color.
- Add a diced sweet potato with the chickpeas for a heartier autumn version.
Ingredients
Directions
Sauté the onion and garlic, covered, over low heat (they will cook in their own juices) until the onion is translucent.
Add the milk and raise heat to medium, and cook just until boiling, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat to prevent boiling over, add chickpeas, spinach, and spices, and continue to cook, stirring, until spinach is wilted.
Remove from heat. Place 1½ cups of the soup into a blender or food processor and puree.
Return purée to soup, stir well, and serve hot.
Rinse spinach in warm salted water, drain, and shred or chiffonade before using.
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