Spicy Chickpea Soup

I love the food blogging community. I love all the interesting food events that encourage me to cook outside my comfort zone. I love the sense of togetherness and belonging and I love that it gave me a reason to embrace chickpeas! ;)

For this round of WTSiM, Jeanne chose pulses. Pulses? What are those? Pulses, or legumes, as you might guess, are beans (mostly dried) but the term also includes lentils, lupins, black-eyed peas, and chickpeas (among others!)

For my entry, I chose the humble chickpea. I've been a fan of hummus for a long while, and I always like a spoonful of chickpeas in my salad, but I'd never really given chickpeas a chance in any other way. I figured that since we love beans and lentils, that it should follow that we'd adore chickpeas as well - and I was right!

This came together so nicely in the blender - thick and creamy without being heavy. I used Fage Greek yogurt, as it seemed fitting to me. F&W suggested serving the soup with pita chips, but rather than make my own, I just bought a bag. I'll admit, I was on the fence with the chips, wondering if we really needed them... and I am glad I got them. They added a nice crunchy dimension (or less-crunchy, if you let them soak in the soup a little like I did!!)

Note: Pop over to CookSister for the round-up!!

Spicy Chickpea Soup
c/o Food and Wine Magazine, March 2008
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/spicy-chickpea-soup

Makes 6 servings.

Chickpeas are rich in both types of dietary fiber, which are important for maintaining heart health and for stabilizing blood sugar levels. Pam Anderson uses them as the base for this Indian-flavored creamy (though cream-free) soup, which she prepares by first pureeing it, then simmering it, to save time. “Pureed beans give you richness without having to enrich the soup,” she says.

Two 19-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
One 13.5-ounce can light coconut milk
One 14.4-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup naturally sweetened apple juice
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced

In a blender, combine the drained chickpeas with the coconut milk, chopped tomatoes, apple juice, cilantro leaves, garam masala and ground ginger and puree the mixture until smooth.

Transfer the puree to a medium saucepan. Stir in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer over moderately high heat. Season with salt and black pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with the yogurt and scallion greens and serve.

Make ahead: The soup can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat gently.

Per serving: 288 cal, 6 gm fat, 3.7 gm sat fat, 49 gm carb, 8.7 gm fiber.