Curried Lentil Vegetable Soup with Roasted Chickpeas

Legumes appear on my menu pretty much everyday and chickpeas usually make their appearance at least once a week in some shape or form. Since this has been a rather cool summer, I decided to feature them in a stunning soup. Roasted chickpeas I've always enjoyed but I've yet to share a recipe with my readers in this space. Here they are roasted with spices and then featured as a topping for a nourishing lentil and vegetable soup with creamy coconut milk.

The list of ingredients might seem long, but the process is really quite straightforward. The soup can be served without the roasted chickpeas with ideal results, but the addition of the lightly browned and slightly crunchy peas really elevate this spicy soup into something extra special. It's well worth the effort and won't fail to delight the taste buds and impress your family and friends.

The spicy chickpeas are so good they can be eaten as a snack or as a topping for any number of dishes including other soups and curries, salads and vegetable dishes, and even as a nacho topping. Consider stirring some into some rice to dress it up. The possibilities are really as endless as the imagination of the cook.

Cut down on the quantity of spices if you prefer less heat.

Curried Lentil Soup with Roasted Chickpeas

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on August 18, 2014 Creamy and zesty red lentil soup with spices and vegetables garnished with lightly roasted and spiced chickpeas Print this recipe Chickpeas: 1/2 cup dried chickpeas (1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 14 oz can) 1 tablespoon olive or sesame oil 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder juice from 1 small lemon (2 tablespoons) 1 teaspoon sea salt Curry: 2 tablespoons olive or sesame oil 1 medium onion, diced 2 large carrots, diced 4 stalks celery, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed 3 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated 2 teaspoons ground coriander 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons paprika 2 teaspoons garam masala 1 teaspoon turmeric 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped 1 cup red lentils, well rinsed 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water 14 oz (400 mL) can coconut milk 2 teaspoons tamari sauce 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast (optional) juice from 1 lime (2 tablespoons) 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste Instructions: Rinse the chickpeas and soak for 8 hours or overnight in several inches of water. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a medium saucepan and cover with several inches of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender — about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 425°. Drain the chickpeas and transfer to a medium bowl. Toss with the oil, cumin, coriander, paprika, mustard powder, lemon juice and salt. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until lightly browned, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. To make the curry, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, carrots and celery, and sauté until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chilies and ginger, and stir for another few minutes to soften. Toss in the spices and stir for another minute. Add the tomatoes and lentils and pour in the vegetable stock or water and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the lentils are tender and the soup has thickened. Stir in the tamari, nutritional yeast if using, lime juice and salt to taste. Simmer for another few minutes. Serve hot and garnish each portion with the roasted chickpeas. Makes 6 servings

This is my contribution to No Croutons Required, a monthly event celebrating vegetarian soups and salads, alternately hosted by my dear friend Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes and myself. Jac's hosting this month.

More lentil dishes you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Kitchen:
Barley and Lentil Herbed Salad
French Lentil Salad with Sweet Corn and Tomato
Mesopotamian Barley, Chickpea, Lentil, Tahini Soup
Lentil Dumplings Simmered in a Sweet Tamarind Sauce

On the top of the reading stack: finishing up Midnight's Children by Salman Rusdie

Audio Accompaniment: Superpitcher - Delta 'Kompakt Total 14' Album