Living in a climate that gets all four seasons, I rely on comfort foods like this Chickpea Curry Soup to help get me through the cold winter months. I love how hearty and filling this soup is! It contains two of my all-time favorite foods — chickpeas and quinoa! This gives it a wonderful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory property and tons of amazing plant-strong nutrients. Best of all, this soup is super easy to throw together and makes for some great leftovers (so you can enjoy it all season long).
Chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) are a fantastic source of plant-based protein and fiber. They also contain many key vitamins and minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, selenium, vitamin K, vitamin B-6, and folate.
Quinoa is a complete protein that contains tons of iron and magnesium. It is also a complex carbohydrate meaning it takes longer to digest leaving you fuller, longer! Check out why these two ingredients are essentials to a healthy lifestyle in my recent video with Kate!
Once it's all cooked, I love topping this soup with fresh cilantro, avocado, and a wedge of lime!
Chickpea Curry Soup
(Makes 8 servings)
Prep it:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and strained + 2 cups water 1 red pepper, chopped 1 jalapeño, chopped 1 sweet onion, chopped 2 carrots, sliced in rounds then roughly chopped 1 zucchini, sliced in thin rounds then chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 Tbs fresh ginger, finely chopped 2 Tbs curry powder 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste 1 6oz can tomato paste 1 can unsweetened light coconut milk 2 15oz cans of chickpeas 6 cups water Top with fresh cilantro, avocado, and lime!
Do it!:
- Place onion in large pot and cook on medium heat, adding a splash of water to help prevent sticking if needed.
- Add chopped peppers and cook for another few minutes, then place carrots and zucchini in the pot and cook until the vegetables have started to soften.
- Add garlic and ginger and combine, then add spices and tomato paste and let cook for just a couple more minutes.
- Add in water, coconut milk, and chickpeas and bring soup to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 35-40 minutes.
- While soup is cooking, prepare quinoa by rinsing one cup of quinoa in a mesh strainer then placing quinoa in a small pot with two cups of water. Let the water come to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook covered for about 15 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed and quinoa is completely cooked. Add quinoa to the soup and let the soup sit for the remaining cooking time.
- Top each serving with fresh cilantro, lime, and avocado! Store leftovers in the fridge covered for up to a week.
I hope you all enjoy this Chickpea Curry Soup and that it keeps your stomach full and your toes warm on a chilly day!
xo Natalie
