Served with Cheese and Onion Bread
I hope you had a happy and fulfilling Father’s Day. Ours started wet, with lots of rain, and less of sunshine. The best thing was probably just breakfast in bed. I didn’t get up until well past 9.00am. It was gloomy and rainy. Who wants to get up on a gloomy and rainy day?
I am fond of chickpeas as an ingredient for soup, rice, batter and numerous other things. I think the form I eat most is the dried roasted chickpeas with lots spices. It’s a great, healthy and quick snack to make. But I also love Falafel, a deep fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas or from fava beans or a combination of both. It can be baked too, although baking alters the texture and flavour. Someone described them as Fried chickpea nuggets, but you can make them in any shape you want. The popular shape is ball-shaped or donut shaped. Most of the recipes I have seen call for dried uncooked chickpeas, soaked overnight, patted dry, ground in a blender and mixed with spices (cumin and ground coriander seeds), herbs (mostly parsley and/or cilantro), garlic, scallions, chilli, leavening agent (baking soda or baking powder) and some flour (wheat), to act as a binding agent.
Falafel is popular in the Middle East as a fast food, and also commonly sold in street corners. It can be served as a main course. The fried balls are stuffed in pita bread with some lettuce, tomato and tahini sauce. It can also be served on a salad with hummus and tahini sauce. It’s also great for making vegetarian burgers.
Today I want to share a recipe for Spicy Chickpea Soup With Coconut Milk, served with onion and cheese bread. Red onions give the best flavour and colour. Most of the time I add ham too. You know, by now, that I love meaty things and always find an excuse to add meat to everything. I think fried crisp bacon shredded into pieces would be a great addition, too, instead of ham. I really enjoyed eating this soup. It was well worth the trouble taken and the coconut milk and the Parmigiano Reggiano added an extra punch of flavour.
Please always remember to assemble all ingredient before you begin
Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté 5 minutes until soft.
Add the spices (ginger, curry powder, cumin, paprika and cayenne, if using) and fry for one minute.
Until thoroughly combined.
Add the chickpeas and crushed tomatoes and,
and 2½ cups stock and the coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil, reduce heat,
cover and simmer until chickpeas are tender 30 minutes.
Remove from heat and blend ⅓ of the soup, till smooth.
Return the blended soup to the pot, stir and heat gently until piping hot, then stir in sour cream or cream and cilantro or parsley. Adjust seasoning and serve, immediately topped with grated cheese
We really enjoyed eating this soup, with cheese and onion bread, as a complete meal with some salad on the side
The coconut milk and the Parmigiano Reggiano resulted in added flavour
I hope you enjoy it too!
Spicy Chickpea Soup with Coconut Milk
Preparation Time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 60 minutes; Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- I large onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon each ground ginger, curry powder, cumin and paprika
- ¼-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 6 cups canned chickpeas, drained (= 2 x 796ml (28 fl oz) canned chickpeas)
- ½ cup crushed tomato or Passata (strained tomatoes)
- 600ml (2½ cups) vegetable broth (stock) [or chicken stock for carnivores]
- 400ml (13.5fl oz) can coconut milk
- ¼ cup sour cream or 35% cream ( I used sour cream)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro or flat parsley
- Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano to top the soup.
Instructions
- Heat the oil in large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté 5 minutes until soft.
- Add the spices (ginger, curry powder, cumin, paprika and cayenne, if using) and fry for one minute.
- Add the chickpeas and crushed tomatoes, 2½ cups stock and the coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper, bring to the boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes until chickpeas are tender.
- Remove from heat and blend ⅓ of soup until smooth. Return the blended soup to the pot, stir to combine and heat gently until piping hot, then stir in sour cream or cream and cilantro or parsley.
- Adjust seasoning and serve, immediately. To with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano. If the soup is too thick, add more stock or coconut milk.
Points to Note:
- You can make the soup in advance, blend the third, soup and keep it separate, then add the blended third and cream when ready to reheat and serve.
- You can add vegetables of you choice to the soup, or some meat or sausages if preferred. I just like mine plain without any additions.
- I served the soup with this bread. It was very tasty. Hope you find it tasty, too.
- I made this soup again, and used Primo “thick and zesty tomato and onion pasta sauce” instead of crushed tomatoes, the soup tasted very nice)
- Last updated: January 10, 2018
myfavouritepastime.com
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Wow! Its cold here in Nairobi so i need me some delicious soup! Love it!
It’s summer here. So hot…but this summer is mild, not too hot. I miss Nairobi and nyamchoms!
Liz
This looks so flavorful! You are right – with a salad and that yummy bread, it’s a perfect and complete winter meal.
Hi Shanna,
This is a complete favourite of mine. If you’ve never tried it, you should. Thanks for complimenting.
Liz
Oh, yes – I shall – some of my favorite flavors. Bookmarked! Shanna 🙂
Thanks. Sorry life is so busy right now…Best wishes!
this looks amazing!
The soup tastes amazing. you should give it a go sometime. Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful week!
I am set on making it today! Thank you, as usual, for the wonderful posts. Have a great day!
Enjoy the soup if you make it, and if you can, please give me a feedback. Have a lovely day!!!
Oh this sounds delicious! I will have to save it for when it is no longer 90F every day. Thank you for visiting my blog!
Thanks for visiting mine too. This soup has been tried and loved by so many people. Please try it when you can. Have a lovely week!!!!
I want this now. Come make it please. hahaha xo
I wish I could pass it on via the internet. Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful week!!!
Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and liking my asparagus and pasta soup! I have never cooked with coconut milk before and this recipe and pictures make me want to give it a try, looks amazing!
Oh my then you’re are missing something. You should try and use coconut milk and see whether you like it. It can be added to virtually anything..rice, beef, soups, meatballs. I leave it to your imagination. Thanks for stopping by too and have a wonderful weekend!!!
LOVE…going to try this soon.
Enjoy it if you do try it. Have a lovely weekend!!!
Reblogged this on Health, Wellness and Fitness Consultant and commented:
Yummy……
This looks so good! I’ve decided that for the summer, my daughter and I will eat a lot of soups for lunches, since I’m home to make them. We’ll definitely have to try this one out. I also LOVE roasted chickpeas. I throw them on top of soup or just eat them on their own as a snack. Thanks for this recipe! And Happy Canada Day to you too 🙂
Hi I was actually in Ottawa for the celebrations. it was awesome. It was my first time there. I wish I had warned you in advance, but we just decided to travel impromptu.
I eat lots of soup. A great way to eat something different and take a break from everything else. I think roasted chickpeas on top of soup is a great idea. I must try this next time. Thanks for sharing and enjoy the cold Ottawa, this place is much warmer!!!! Enjoy the soup if you ever try it.
Thank you for promoting the soup in your review. Much appreciated. Have a lovely week!!!
Absolutely delicious! x
Hi Trisha,
Thanks have a wonderful weekend! hope to see you more often.
Thanks for dropping by my blog and liking my recipe, it’s nice to hear from another Canadian blogger! I’ve had a chance to look around yours and can’t wait to to try some of your recipes. This soup looks amazing, I love chickpeas and using lots of spices in my cooking.
Thank you for being here too. Thanks also for liking my chickpea soup. I’m glad to learn that you’re based in Canada as well. Your blog is lovely too. I look forward to trying out some recipes. Hope to see more of you. Have a wonderful day and a lovely week!!
wow, I could use some delicious warm soup right now! this looks yummy,I’ll give it a go this month!:)
This soup is a hit. You should try it sometimes!!!! Thanks for visiting my blog many time. I am glad we met!! Have a lovely week!!
I definitely will Liz and let you know how it turned out! It’s so lovely to know you too! Yes, I’m reading your blog regularly and look forward to learning a lot from you! 😀 have a nice day 🙂 ~~
Thank you for reading my blog regularly. I fell very honoured. I also look forward to learning from you, too. There is always something to learn from the other person! Have a wonderful day!!!!
I have a tin of chickpeas upstairs that has this recipe name on it… we are having a horrible start to the Dutch summer (13 C today! ouch come on Mother Nature, it’s JUNE not October!!!) and I think I need a soup like this to cheer me up.
It’s simple and has a heap of ingredients full of flavour so what’s not to like?
Thanks!
We have been having many “mini springs” amidst summer and we are now used to it. In any case we had many “mini winters” in spring, with snow sometimes. Actually 13C is a welcome temperature here, not really bad..and anyway summers are terrible in Canada, its hot, humid and sweaty. I spent one Summer in Holland during my studies…I think the humidex here is worse.
That soup is one of my favourites, you should try it. I love it lots!!! Thanks for stopping by the soup! Have a lovely day!!!!
I made the soup (day before yesterday when temps in The Netherlands were a not-so-summery 13C ugh) .
Yea goodness, there was enough for two days for the two of us, but Himself and I stuffed ourselves and ate it all in one sitting. Himself added cheese to his and I had to omit the sour cream as I’m on zero dairy product diet (Lung specialists orders) due to bad asthma and recovering from a chest infection.
I did get rather too enthusiastic with the cayenne pepper and it was *really* spicy (luckily the kids didn’t share this with us).. but that said the mixture of flavours is excellent and I’d be completely delighted to make this again.
(often!!!) Thanks for a fabulous recipe 🙂
Thanks so much for making my favourite soup, you have made my day. It has been raining non-stop since yesterday. I wonder where summer is hiding. I don’t miss the real summer though…to hot for my liking!!
The last soup I made got finished in split seconds (we were four of us), there was nothing left in the pot. Mm the cheese sounds nice, I refrain because of late I have been adding weight. It’s inching slowly, you don’t even realize it until its too late. The sour cream gives an extra punch but I’ve also made it minus sour cream so many times before.
My friend was also too enthusiastic with the cayenne pepper she was sniffing as she enjoyed the soup. Thanks so much for making the soup. I shall definitely be trying out recipes from your blog as you have been such a good networker. It will take a little while though, I shall be more settled after mid-july. we have several things to do before then. Take care and my best wishes to your family!!!
Liz,
I enjoyed the chickpea soup so much I’d added chickpeas to the shopping list (Himself does most of the shopping) so I can make it again soon. I’m in long term recovery for an injury where I rearranged and broke bones in my foot and after almost 3 years of not being able to walk on it fully (work still in progress Grrr) am really trying to shift the extra kilos that have crept on due to inactivity.
Do you maybe have an idea of roughly how many calories a serving of this soup might have in it? (without the sour cream and cheese) … I’d like to work this recipe into my healthy eating regime but need to try and figure out how often I could do it, depending on the calorie content.
Thanks for the kind words about my recipes… have fun cooking (whenever you can) !!! 🙂
I would have to calculate but there are roughly 207 calories per cup chickpeas (or 119 calories per 100g) and roughly 197 calories per 100ml coconut milk. I hope that helps. Did you use coconut milk? That would be about 250 calories if the soup is dished to six people (about 1 cup soup per person). If you want leaner soup you’d have to do without the coconut milk, but I personally love the coconut milk and can’t imagine the soup without it. I hope this helps. Have a lovely weekend and wish you a speedy recovery towards walking normally again. Thanks for liking this soup so much. Several people have made the soup and they like it, I love it.
Liz,
Thanks so much for the calculation: I think the answer might be to just halve the amount of coconut milk and enjoy a little for the flavour but not have so much that it adds too many calories. Yum!!!
Thanks too. Have a nice weekend!!
Yum, this sounds delicious!
Hi Sam,
One of my favourite soups. Thanks for stopping by, I have just been looking at the chocolate banana brownies. I would love to make them sometime. Have a wonderful week!!! Hope to see you more often!
Hi Liz, I added the English recipe for Rhubarb cake as you requested. 😀
Thanks so much for adding the recipe in English. I have seen it. I will make it soon and will let you know how it went for me. Have a lovely weekend!!!
Did I miss the bread recipe? It looks amazing!
The bread recipe link is given under points to note, point number 4. Please click there and you will be directed to the recipe. It’s very easy to make and tastes really good. Have a wonderful weekend!!!
Thanks Liz, You too!
I love all the chickpea recipes you mention: falafel, roast chickpeas – yum! So I must really give this soup a whirl! It really looks fabulous! Well, as you know I am not crazy about soup, but this recipe looks like it would make a great “stew” with some rice 😉
I love that soup, that’s all I can tell you. I make it at least once a fortnight and everybody in my house loves it too. You have been so quiet but I don’t get worried anymore because I know I’ll always see you when the time is right. It can be eaten with bread, with rice and even pasta or even some naan or flour tortillas . I shall be visiting your blog shortly to see how you are. Have a lovely weekend.
Yes, I really have been spending much too little time browsing recipes and “talking food”. I think it is the fact that summer has finally arrived (even though it is grey and cold) I have just been incredibly busy. Even now I should really be packing for me next little trip to Italy. But I just had to see what you are up to 🙂
I am always so happy to see you. I have also been rather busy lately so I haven’t posted anything in ten days…when you have children, sometimes life just gets so busy, everything on the side comes to a standstill. I wish I could hop into your hand luggage and see a bit of Italy too. Enjoy your summer coz it only comes once a year you know. Thanks for checking on me, I feel so honoured, and thanks for your friendship, too. I am now on my way to Afra cooking. Enjoy your trip to Italy. Don’t eat too much Gelato-is that possible? It’s summer. Have a wonderful week!!!
Gorgeous looking soup, and that bread looks amazing! Is it homemade too?
I agree that chickpeas are lovely – I tend to forget about them for a while then suddenly re-discover some in a cupboard and set to with making hummus and stews.
Yummy 🙂
The bread is homemade, I stopped buying store food since I started blogging. I just love chickpeas, for soup, for rice and many other things. They are always a pleasure to store around the house!!!! Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely week!
I love chick peas and this recipe sounds delicious! I’ve never cooked with coconut milk before though. I don’t like coconuts or coconut flavored things… but I assume coconut milk would taste different in this recipe? I also currently do not own a blender. Any suggestions on how to smash the chick peas down effectively another way? Thanks!!
I love chickpeas too, and this recipe is a great one. I make it at least once a fortnight and my children love it too. Coconut milk tastes very nice in food, It’s different from eating Bounty or desiccated/shredded coconut. You should try and let me know how you find it. If you do not have a blender just scoop out a third of the chickpeas with a slotted spoon and mash them with a wooden spoon or just use the regular potato masher. I do that all the time for lentils, when I don’t want them so smooth. Please let me know how it turns out for you. Thanks and have a lovely week!!!
This definitely looks yummy. I am a huge fan of chick peas, curry and coconut milk. Must try soon. I like to make big pots of my favorite high fiber soups and freeze individual servings so I have them available for lunches.
Hi Mama Dx1
I love chick peas too. In fact I have just eaten the left over soup right now with some rigatoni. It was delicious. Hope you and the boys are okay-will visit your blog soon. Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely week.
I finally got a chance to make this soup today. LOVED it!! I used lemongrass instead of cilantro since I had more of it in the garden. Also used the coconut milk of course. My husband’s homemade naan would have been perfect with this but our stash is gone for now! Thanks for a great hi fiber low fat recipe!
Hi Mama D,
Thanks so much for making the soup. You’ve made my day. I am even more glad because YOU LOVED IT. That makes me so happy.
Sorry I was away in Ottawa celebrating Canada day. It was great fun, with lots and lots of people, I love lemon grass too, it’s just that It’s not so easy to find here. I can imagine how it tasted. Thanks so much and have a wonderful week!
Finally got the chance to make this and it was YUMMY! I used lemongrass instead of cilantro cuz that is what I had in the garden. My husband’s homemade naan would have been perfect with this, unfortunately my stash of it is gone! Thanks Liz for such a good high fiber low fat recipe.
That looks lovely, I’d stick chorizo in it (because I would stick chorizo in loads of dishes), the bread looks amazing too.
I think that would taste really nice. I love chorizo too, and the bread is awesome. Thanks for visiting me. Have a lovely week!
Chick peas are one of my favorites.
Me too. It’s been a long time. Hope all is well for you. have a lovely week!
This sounds like a delicious combination!
It’s very nice. That was my dinner last night. I enjoyed eating the soup and I have just eaten the last slice of the cheese and onion bread. Have a pleasant week and thanks for always checking on me. I appreciate your friendship.
Thanks Liz… I appreciate your friendship as well. Enjoy the rest of your week!
Same you your Frances, you must be busy now, I haven’t seen you posting in a while. I have also become so busy, I cook everyday but posting can be a challenge!!! I have to come up with a better plan for keeping regular posts. Take care!!!
Reblogged this on showbiztsikahan.
Please note you’ve re-blogged this post against my wishes. I have tried to contact you to remove this post from your site, but you did not respond.
Looks lovely! Chickpeas are one of those great store cupboard ingredients that are so flexible. The bread looks delicious as well.
Hmmm Lebanese cooking ! I love it so much.
Your blog is definitely really beautiful ! Have a nice day !
Thanks so much. Your blog is beautiful too. Have a wonderful week!
Chick peas are a great option for vegetarian filling meals. The only way I can make my boyfriend eat meatless dishes is by adding chickpeas and/or sweet potatoes to them!
This one sounds like a very good recipe, I shall definitely try it soon. Just hope the coconut mil doesn’t make it to sweet.
Sweet potatoes are sweet, the coconut milk we have here does not contain any sugar in it. It’s just pure coconut milk, no additions! Does coconut milk make food sweet? I cook with it all the time and I never tasted sweet (I use it in rice, beef, chicken, cakes, etc).
Thanks for stopping by have a lovely day and a wonderful week!!!
I’ll try it for sure and will let you know what I thought of it! It surely looks delicious 🙂
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http://greedywanderers.wordpress.com/
Okay enjoy the rest of the week!
It looks like curry :D. (and the bread looks so gorgeous!)
and tastes gorgeous too. Thanks for stopping by.
Where do you get all these wonderful recipes? I have not seen one like this before. I love that it can be vegetarian or you can add some meat if desired. I probably wouldn’t, I think with both the coconut milk and the curry flavoring, wow! I can almost taste it….and being a chick pea fan as well I will make it! That onion and cheese bread looks mouth watering too! I love falafels! I make them often, I’ve taken to frying them in a bit of oil and have started to use grape seed oil. I like that it doesn’t add a different flavor and has a high smoke point.
Hi I saw your exciting post. I am on my way to read the adventures. I have just had the spicy chickpea soup with the onion bread, right now. I am announcing to the whole world. I ate so much…I think tonight I have to sleep on my side…no curling or anything fancy. I did sprinkle some cheese on top of the soup and also threw in some chopped cilantro, oh boy I can become a vegetarian right now. You have to try making the soup and the bread, you will love it. I see you have become a health almanac, now you are enticing me to try grape seed oil. I have never tried it but since the expert highly recommends, I will be out there looking for it next week. Thanks you so much for being here and THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING MY FIRST FOLLOWER ON FACEBOOK. I Just opened a Facebook account yesterday. I am a total newbie to Facebook. Now at least I have one like….how exciting. Goodnight and enjoy your week.
Oh, now I feel special! LOL. Thanks so much. I have been a Facebook participant for a year or so. Great way to keep up with your kids, friends and family members! I learned about Grape Seed oil from the “Spice Goddess” show on TV. She always uses it and recommended it for many reasons, it’s high smoke point, very light flavor, and it didn’t overburden other ingredients. I quite like it. I have two bottles near my stove…one with the grape seed oil and the other with the extra virgin olive oil. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead too. First day of summer soon.
You surely do keep up with technology. It’s just my two older children on Facebook, the younger ones, not yet given permission until they are much older. I needed a good reason to be on Facebook, and my older daughter did all the donkey work, then showed me what to do. Now you’ve convinced me completely to buy that grape seed oil. I must try it. I use olive oil for my regular cooking and sometimes Canola oil although Canola is one of the GM crops.Have a goodnight. My eyes have started closing right now!
Ohh…. I am not sure what looks more delicious…the soup or the bread…or the combination of both that is making me HUNGRY! lol.
I was on (yes ON) your blog yesterday looking for you. I even left you a note. Glad to see you, at least I know you are okay. Take care and have a wonderful week!!!
Wow Liz, this looks amazing! I will definitely have to try it out! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I have just had the spicy chickpea soup and onion bread for dinner. i am so full, I can hardly sit down. Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week!!!
This looks so good, I adore chickpeas so definitely need to try this. Thanks for sharing!
I am making some right now for dinner, with some onion bread. I can smell the bread cooking, the onions smell very nice. I used the red ones. Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful week!
I really like the idea of this soup. I have to do a few substitutions so that I can eat it, but it is a fabulous idea. Thank you.
You are welcome to suit your palate, that’s the whole point of cooking, I substitute all the time depending on what I want. Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week!!
I’m about to order a bunch of coconut milk/cream/ghee to try out in different recipes. I already use coconut oil (along with olive oil) for almost all pan cooking. Will this regimen make it easier for me to climb trees? ;->
Try the regimen and let me know the outcome. I am interested in knowing how it turned out for you. Good Luck!!!!
Judilyn,
Just to let you know that making your own Gee is mega easy becuase it’s just butter that’s been clarified…
Here’s how to make your own….Place a decent amount of butter in a heavy based pot (I do 500g / 1lb) and put onto your lowest possible simmer for 40-60 minutes (time depends on how low your simmer gets)
What’s left after this is Gee / clarified butter and can stored in a container in your fridge for months.
So easy and saves a heap on postage becuase Gee usually comes in a tin and is quite heavy.
Hope this helps! 🙂
This is great coz I have been searching for ghee in Canada. I’m sure it’s there but not an easy day to day find. Thanks so much for leaving this information here, you sure do have tonnes of information even in your blog. Thanks so much for being here. I’m glad we met. I shall be looking at your Indian Cooking Series. Danke Well!!!
Liz, you are most welcome!!! About 40 minutes and you will have Gee from butter and soooo easy! I made my own when I lived in New Zealand but have been lazy here in NL because I now have less time with work and kids and have a great Indian specialist shop a short drive away so it’s just been easier to shove a tin in the shopping basket 🙂
We used to have an Indian speciality shop nearby, but I don’t see it anymore. I think it was closed down, not too many people buying from there I guess. I shall give the ghee recipe a try. We have a long weekend this week and I shall be away for some days (celebrating Canada Day) , but when I come back i will give it a go. Thanks for being here many times and Enjoy the rest of the week!!!
Thanks. I’ll give it a try! ;->
Thanks for stopping by and responding. Have a lovely week!
Love the idea of this soup. I like you love chick peas too. Actually with Ramadan coming, I am in the lookout for soups to serve and this sounds like it will be on the menu.
I would like to invite you to my Canada Day (well month really) celebration on my blog. Hope you will participate 😀
I love chick peas. I add them to almost everything I cook. You are welcome to add the soup to your menu. Thanks for the invitation, if it’s running for a month then I will participate. The first two weeks I’ll be on holiday. Thanks for stopping by, enjoy the rest of Sunday!