Curried Beet Soup with Chickpeas

An excellent way to spice up an otherwise bland week.

This recipe is a spin off of a recipe my friend shared with me from the Minimalist Baker. The spices are superb and the texture of the soup pairs perfectly with crunchy chickpeas.

I think of soups in 3 parts: 1) spices, 2) bulk, 3) broth. The amounts of each highly depend on your taste and texture preferences. Want more spice? Add more cayenne, want a thicker soup? Either add more bulk or less broth. Therefore, the amounts I provide are approximations. Soup making is very much an art and everyone has their style. Let’s dive in!

Soup

Spice Ingredients:

• Curry powder or paste (about 1 heaping Tbsp)

• Cumin ((1/2 tsp)

• Cayenne (1/8 tsp)

• Salt n Pepper (to taste)

• Shallot, onion, or leek (1/2 cup)

• Ginger, shredded (a thumbs worth)

• Garlic (a small child’s thumbs worth)

• Coconut or olive oil (1 Tbsp)

Base Ingredients:

• Beets (2-3)

• Cauliflower (1/2 head)

Broth:

• Coconut milk (one 14oz can)

• Veggie or chicken broth, ideally homemade (1-2 cups)

Soup Directions:

Heat oil in a pot, add shallot or onion, cook and stir for a few minutes until translucent then add your desired spices and saute for about 1 minute.  Add a splash of wine to deglaze the pot and let the spices bloom, then add your beets, cauliflower (or other starches) and broth (not the coconut milk yet!). Add enough broth such that the veggies are just barely covered (more broth will make the soup thinner, less and the soup will be thicker). Cook at a simmer until beets can be easily stabbed with a fork. Add coconut milk and use an immersion blender to blend to the consistency of your hearts desire. No immersion blender? Throw it all in the Vitamix, or whatever blender/food processor you have and blend until creamy.

Crispy Chickpeas

Crispy Chickpea Ingredients:

1 15 oz can chickpeas - drained and rinsed

1 Tbsp melted coconut oil

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp Indian spice blend (tandoori or garam masala work) If you don’t have either of those on hand use more curry powder, or mix turmeric, cumin, paprika in equal parts.

Directions:

Melt coconut oil then mix in spices. Toss in a bowl with the chickpeas and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until crispy and delicious.

Put it all together:

Serve the soup in a bowl, add as many chickpeas as your heart desires along with some delicious toppings such as a dollop of yogurt and cilantro!