Moroccan Chickpea Soup

Chickpea Soup

I got the idea for this Moroccan Chickpea soup when out and about. I was visiting Lynton in North Devon and had some lunch in a a lovely cafe called Charlie Fridays which was serving this soup. It was very spicy and very delicious. So once home I decided to make this soup with just chickpeas, tomatoes, onions and some spices. I have to say the result was good and enjoyed by friends and family! It is so easy to make and very low cost. It can be made with ingredients you may already have in your cupboard.

Low cost, easy to make and delicious, this Moroccan style chickpea soup is what home made soups are all about! Spiced with cumin, coriander and chilli, make it to your own spicy taste!

Chickpeas – Dried or Tinned

If you plan ahead you can make this dish using dried chickpeas. These will need overnight soaking and then boiling for 90 minutes to 2 hours before they will be ready for use. If you use chickpeas a lot it is worth doing a large batch and freezing them in smaller quantities of about 250g each (equivalent to 1 tin) ready for use. Chickpeas are low cost, nutritious and very tasty with their creamy, nutty flavour.

Cumin and Coriander

The key spice is cumin and it is best made with seeds rather than powder, because the seeds can be gently fired with the onion before the other ingredients are added and this brings out the best flavour. I used fresh tomatoes because I had them to hand but you can use tinned chopped tomatoes instead.

How spicy you make the soup is up to you. Go easy with the chilli powder, just adding a little at a time until you are happy. Remember once it can’t be removed!

What Are Chickpeas?

Chickpeas are one of the oldest cultivated legumes and were known to the ancient Greeks and Romans. They are high in protein, fibre, folate and low in fat. An excellent food to add to salads and stews as well of course to make hummus. Make your own at home and you may never want shop bought hummus again!

Chickpeas are used widely in curries and mediterranean dishes – and there is no reason why we couldn’t use them more in our own traditional stews – either as a meat substitute or to help the meat go further. Lentils, chickpeas and other pulses are a great way to economise on meat. Buy just half the amount you would normally use for a stew and add some chick peas or other beans. You still get all the flavour of the meat and plenty on your plate yest a a much smaller cost.

Fabulous Soup For Lunch or Light Supper

Put this soup in a thermos flask for your office lunch. With plenty of flavour and substance – it will give you a boost to make ready fro the afternoon. Or make for a lazy Saturday lunchtime or light supper with some Maoroccan Style Couscous and bread.

Making Moroccan Chickpea Soup

If you don’t have any fresh tomatoes then a 400g of tinned chopped tomatoes. I prefer the flavour with fresh tomatoes, but it us till good with tinned. I love the flavour of cumin so am very generous with the cumin seeds. You can adjust the use of spices to suit your own tastes – although I would recommend trying it with plenty of cumin!

I like to have some whole chickpeas in the finished soup so remover a few before liquidsising. Whether or not you do this, is of course entirely up to you.