Curried Chickpea And Lentil Soup

Made with a mix of chickpeas and red lentils, this vegan soup comes together quickly, has great texture, and is oh-so-tasty!

My neighbor Sandra—of Pasta Puttanesca and Moosewood Tomato Salsa lore— introduced me to another keeper: COOKIE + Kate’s lentil soup , a popular vegan recipe, which Sandra confesses she makes with chicken stock. I love Sandra.

After devouring the quart of soup she brought to us during the blizzard, I set to work making a batch of my own, and I’ve made it twice more since: once mostly as written, but with chicken stock in place of the vegetable stock, and once with all water, which kept it vegan.

Both are completely delicious—this is a recipe that can be adapted to taste and to what you have in your pantry. I’ve added chickpeas, omitted the greens, used vinegar in place of the lemon juice, and it always turns out well.

Most importantly, it comes together alarmingly quickly but has a simmered-all-day kind of taste.

PS: Addictive Black Lentils with Spinach and Labneh

How to Make Curried Chickpea & Lentil Soup, Step by Step

First, gather your ingredients: lentils, chickpeas, onions, garlic, carrots, crushed tomatoes, cumin, curry powder, crushed red pepper flakes, and vinegar.

Saute the onions, carrots, garlic and spices together first.

Once the vegetables are soft and the mixture is smelling aromatic…

… add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.

Description

Made with a mix of chickpeas and red lentils, this vegan soup comes together quickly, has great texture, and is oh-so-tasty!

Notes:

Inspired by this recipe on Cookie & Kate. I’ve made a few modifications:

• Cumin: I prefer starting with whole seeds, which I crush in a mortar and pestle, but pre-ground is fine, too.

• I love a lentil soup with a vinegary bite, so in place of the lemon juice, I use 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar. You could use red wine, white wine, cider vinegar in its place. The soup does not take on a vinegary taste in the end, but there is a welcome sharpness.

• I add chickpeas because I really like the combination of the lentils, which break down completely, and the chickpeas, which hold their shape and add nice texture.

• I’ve made the soup a little less tomato-y, so I use 2 cups crushed tomatoes as opposed to a whole can (28 oz). I like the Pomi brand crushed tomatoes.

• The original recipe calls for adding chard or collard greens at the end, which I am sure would be delicious, but if you don’t have them on hand, don’t feel the need to run out.

• The original recipe also calls for puréeing some of the soup at the end, but I kind of like it as is, with all the various textures — purée if you wish.

• Liquid: If you cook the chickpeas from scratch — this slow cooker method is my favorite — use the cooking liquid from the chickpeas in the soup.

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 onion diced, 1.25-1.5 cups

• 2 carrots, peeled and diced, 1.25-1.5 cups

• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin, see notes above

• 1 teaspoon curry powder

• pinch red pepper flakes

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

• fresh pepper to taste

• 1 cup red lentils

• 4 cups cooked chickpeas, or two 15-oz cans, drained

• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar or lemon to taste, see notes above

• 2 cups crushed tomatoes

• 4 cups water or vegetable stock, see notes above

1. In a large pot, place the oil, onions, carrots, garlic, cumin, curry, red pepper flakes, fresh pepper, and pinch of salt. Bring to a sizzle over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally to coat the vegetables in the spices, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the lentils, chickpeas, 1 teaspoon salt, vinegar, crushed tomatoes, 4 cups stock or water plus 2 more cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat so mixture is simmering. Simmer for 30 minutes or longer, until the lentils have broken down, and the mixture has thickened. Taste. Adjust seasoning with more salt (I usually add another teaspoon or more of kosher salt, but adjust as you see fit), pepper, or vinegar/lemon to taste. Serve with bread.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
• Category: Soup
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American, Indian

Description

Made with a mix of chickpeas and red lentils, this vegan soup comes together quickly, has great texture, and is oh-so-tasty!

Notes:

Inspired by this recipe on Cookie & Kate. I’ve made a few modifications:

• Cumin: I prefer starting with whole seeds, which I crush in a mortar and pestle, but pre-ground is fine, too.

• I love a lentil soup with a vinegary bite, so in place of the lemon juice, I use 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar. You could use red wine, white wine, cider vinegar in its place. The soup does not take on a vinegary taste in the end, but there is a welcome sharpness.

• I add chickpeas because I really like the combination of the lentils, which break down completely, and the chickpeas, which hold their shape and add nice texture.

• I’ve made the soup a little less tomato-y, so I use 2 cups crushed tomatoes as opposed to a whole can (28 oz). I like the Pomi brand crushed tomatoes.

• The original recipe calls for adding chard or collard greens at the end, which I am sure would be delicious, but if you don’t have them on hand, don’t feel the need to run out.

• The original recipe also calls for puréeing some of the soup at the end, but I kind of like it as is, with all the various textures — purée if you wish.

• Liquid: If you cook the chickpeas from scratch — this slow cooker method is my favorite — use the cooking liquid from the chickpeas in the soup.

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 onion diced, 1.25-1.5 cups

• 2 carrots, peeled and diced, 1.25-1.5 cups

• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin, see notes above

• 1 teaspoon curry powder

• pinch red pepper flakes

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

• fresh pepper to taste

• 1 cup red lentils

• 4 cups cooked chickpeas, or two 15-oz cans, drained

• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar or lemon to taste, see notes above

• 2 cups crushed tomatoes

• 4 cups water or vegetable stock, see notes above

1. In a large pot, place the oil, onions, carrots, garlic, cumin, curry, red pepper flakes, fresh pepper, and pinch of salt. Bring to a sizzle over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally to coat the vegetables in the spices, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the lentils, chickpeas, 1 teaspoon salt, vinegar, crushed tomatoes, 4 cups stock or water plus 2 more cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat so mixture is simmering. Simmer for 30 minutes or longer, until the lentils have broken down, and the mixture has thickened. Taste. Adjust seasoning with more salt (I usually add another teaspoon or more of kosher salt, but adjust as you see fit), pepper, or vinegar/lemon to taste. Serve with bread.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
• Category: Soup
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American, Indian

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2017/03/16/curried-chickpea-lentil-soup/

Somehow winter passed, and I didn’t make a single pot of tomato soup. Somehow spring arrived, and six inches of snow still covers my lawn. I’m craving rhubarb ( cooking with it , too), but living on beans and bread ; still making soup all the time.

Here’s the latest: creamy tomato soup from a 2012 Bon Appetit . The recipe is incredibly simple, calling for nearly all pantry items: onions, garlic, tomato paste, and canned peeled tomatoes.

Do add thyme to your shopping list, however, and heavy cream, which could be omitted, but I think it adds a necessary touch of richness—the soup is made with water (as opposed to stock), and a little cream goes a long way here balancing the acidity and sweetness of the tomatoes.

I like to serve the soup with lots of freshly cracked pepper and shaved parmesan and bread , of course.

How to Make Tomato Soup, Step by Step

Sauté onions, garlic, and thyme in a few tablespoons of butter or olive oil until soft:

Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste:

Cook until caramelized, about 5 minutes:

Add 4 cups water and a 28-oz can of whole peeled tomatoes:

Simmer for about 45 minutes:

Discard the thyme sprigs, and purée until smooth. Add cream and lots of pepper:

Serve with bread, toasty or not, and shaved parmesan, if you wish:

Description

Adapted from this Creamy Tomato Soup recipe in Bon Appetit

I’ve been making a half recipe (reflected in the ingredients below), which never lasts the day, so feel free to double it.

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• a few sprigs thyme
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sugar, optional
• ¼ cup (or more) heavy cream
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano for serving
• Fresh bread for serving

1. Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add thyme, onion, and garlic. Season with salt. Cook until onion is completely soft and translucent, 10–12 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; add tomato paste. Continue cooking, stirring often, until paste has begun to caramelize in spots, 5–6 minutes—it will begin to stick to the bottom of the pan.
2. Add tomatoes with juices and 4 cups water to pot. Increase heat to high; bring to a simmer. As the plum tomatoes rise to the surface while the soup simmers, use scissors to cut them up. (You’ll purée it later, but cutting them up helps them cook down better.) Reduce heat to medium. Simmer until flavors meld and soup reduces to about 1 quart, 45 minutes or so. Remove soup from heat; discard thyme sprigs. Working in small batches, purée soup in a blender until smooth or purée with an immersion blender.
3. Stir in ¼ cup cream. Taste and adjust as needed. I usually add 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, but I like salt, so season to taste or start with 1 teaspoon salt and add more to taste. I like lots of fresh cracked pepper, too. Simmer soup until flavors meld, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Taste again, and add more cream, if desired.
4. Ladle soup into bowls and shave Parmigiano Reggiano over top. Serve with more pepper on the side and bread.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Soup
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American, Italian