Cream of Chickpea Soup (v)

Ingredients

• 45 oz chickpeas, drained and rinsed (3 cans)
• 15 oz diced tomatoes, un-drained (1 can)
• 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 C vegetable broth or water
• 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary or ¼ tsp dried
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 45 g grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 170 g fresh baby spinach, chopped, for additional greens

Directions

1. Sauté Base: Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook ~10 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.
2. Simmer Soup: Stir in stock, tomatoes, chickpeas, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. If using spinach, add it now. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Blend: Purée the soup with an immersion blender. Stir in vinegar, bring briefly to a boil, then remove from heat.
4. Serve: Ladle 1½ C into each of 6 bowls and sprinkle with 1 tbs Parmesan per serving.

Chef's Notes

• This is a vegetarian recipe - replace or omit the Parmesan cheese to make it vegan

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