Chickpea Soup

This week I have had a sick husband at home! For me the best comfort when your sick is Mom but when you just can't go to Mom's house and let her take care of you the next best is homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. My husband, a former Vegetarian, is not a fan of chicken and won't eat regular Chicken Noodle Soup. So I have to get creative and create new versions of this comforting, classic soup.

Though very similar to my Twisted Chicken Soup this soup is a vegetarian based recipe and has a unique protein. Both soups start with the same basic veggie mix or mirepoix. Mirepoix is a combination of onions, carrots and celery.This is a great base for many stocks, soups, stews and sauces. The twist on this soup is that I used Chickpeas for the protein. Chickpeas are fantastic and easy to prepare. They are full of protein and high in fiber. A great way to replace meat in just about any dish.


Chickpeas Veggie Soup 
1 12 ounce can of Chickpeas drained
1 tbsp of Smokey Paprika
1 tsp of Red Chili Powder
1 tsp of Cayenne Pepper
4 cups of Veggie Stock or Broth (or Chicken but then the recipe is not Vegetarian)
2 to 3 cloves of Garlic (chopped)
2 to 3 Celery Stalks (chopped)
2 to 3 Carrots (peeled and chopped)
2 Roma Tomatoes (Roughly chopped) 
1/2 teaspoon of Bay leaves ( or if whole Bay Leaves 2)
2 to 3 Fresh Basil leaves (chopped) 
2 tsp Italian Parsley (chopped)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 package of your favorite pasta (this time I used Rigatoni)

In a large pan or grill pan, start your Chickpeas. Spray the pan lightly with olive oil or cooking spray, after the pan is hot pour the Chickpeas in. Sprinkle with Cayenne Pepper, Chili Powder, Smokey Paprika and salt and pepper. Let roast for about 2 to 3 minutes (until you start to see color) then flip and roast on the other side. Meantime start cooking your meripoix, garlic and bay leaves in a large stock pot on medium to low heat. Once onions start to become translucent and celery/carrots become soft add tomatoes and roast for another two to three minutes. Then add your  stock and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. The longer the soup simmers the better it tastes. Start your water to cook the pasta 4 to 5 minutes before  serving. Follow directions on pasta package or bring your water to a boil, add salt and then pasta, cook until al dente about 4 to 6 minutes depending on the pasta. I like to compose my soup in each bowl so I can control the ratio of protein, broth and pasta.

Typically I would recommend egg noodles for this type of recipe but being Vegetarian Soup, I decided to opt for small rigatoni noodles. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and enjoy. I added a few chunks of mozzarella to finish it off (but that was a husband request and of course optional).

Counting down the days to Spring!