Garbanzo Tomato Soup
Sometimes life can get busy and sometimes I just can’t be bothered to make a full-blown meal. That’s when I pull out this tried and true recipe. There’s minimal cooking involved…it requires canned beans and canned tomatoes, for crying out loud! The only “real” effort is sautéing up some onions, garlic, and a couple of spices. It all gets done in one pot, so there’s very little cleanup, so I can take this whole laziness thing even further :)
I took my Garbanzo Tomato Soup down to the water to enjoy the rain.
But, don’t mistake easy for not comforting. The combination of coriander and cumin with smoked paprika provide a smokiness that hugs you from within. And if you want a little kick, add a pinch of red chili flakes in the beginning. Just go easy, especially if they’re fresh, since the heat will increase as it cooks. Not only is this meal a snap to assemble, but it comes together in about 20 minutes…no kidding!
A view from my car picnic…the beautiful rainy California coast. No matter what the weather’s like, I love coming down here.
To round out the meal I throw a few slices of whole grain bread in the toaster and then rub the warm toast with a few swipes of raw garlic and slather them with soft salted butter. Hits the spot every time!
This is a vegan soup, but if you want to up the protein, toss in some leftover rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked sausage meat. It also goes great with a generous dollop of Almond Pesto.
Garbanzo Tomato Soup
Yield: 1 1/3 quarts – 3 generous servings
3 Tbsp olive oil
½ large onion
2 tsp whole coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp smoked paprika
5 garlic cloves
28oz can whole peeled stewed tomatoes
14 oz can chickpeas
2 tsp kosher salt
1. In a stockpot on medium heat, add oil and heat for about 1 minute.
2. While the oil heats up, peel and chop the onion into a medium dice – about the size of the chickpeas.
3. Add onions and cook for 5-10 minutes until onion is translucent and soft. Stir every so often and turn down the heat if it starts to turn brown.
4. While the onions cook, heat a small dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin and coriander and toast for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Move spices around in the pan with either a spoon or by swirling the pan so they don’t burn. Transfer the spices to a mortar and pestle and grind until they’re broken down, but there are still some larger bits. You can also pulse the spices in a spice grinder if you prefer. Add spice mixture and paprika to the onions and stir to combine.
Peel and mince garlic and add to onions.
6. While onions and spices cook together, pour the tomatoes into a bowl and either cut up with a knife and fork or crush using your hands. If using your hands, go slowly and be careful not to shower yourself with the tomato juice. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pot.
7. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add to the pot. Stir to combine.
8. Stir in salt and turn up the heat to medium-high and cook the soup until it comes to a boil. Taste and add more salt if desired.
