This is the kind of soup I would never have tried in the old days. And by that I mean the days in which I only bought canned beans, on account of my repeated failed efforts at cooking the dried version. Canned beans are super convenient, but not super cheap.
Chickpeas tend to run about 6 shekels a can, and spending 18 shekels for the three cans needed in this soup just sounds crazy to me. Yes, we’re talking all of $5. But when you could spend just over $1.50 instead, those are five really, really annoying dollars.
Anyway. When you think about it, chickpeas and sesame seeds are basically cousins (chummus and techina, anybody?). One of the cool things about this soup is the way it combines those flavors.
At the heart of the soup is a hefty amount of chickpeas, but the onions are sauteed in sesame oil instead of the ever-present olive, and the soup is garnished with a sesame oil drizzle right before serving. Those may seem like small touches, but don’t omit either one.
Chickpea and carrot soup is total comfort food. So quick, before the weather heats up too much, take advantage. I promise it’ll be more satisfying than your mishloach manot remnants.
Chickpea and carrot soup
Yield: About 6 servings
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp sesame oil, divided
- 3 small onions, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp cumin
- pinch of salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 small carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 (19 oz.) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups dried chickpeas, cooked)
- 6 cups water
- 2 Tbsp soup mix
- ¼ cup red lentils
Directions
1. Heat 1 Tbsp sesame oil in a large pot and saute onions, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper over low heat, until onions are softened (about 5 minutes).
2. Add carrots to the pot and cook an additional 5 minutes, just to get them started softening. Add chickpeas (reserve a handful for the garnish), water, soup mix, and lentils. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes, or until carrots can be easily pierced with a knife. Let cool slightly.
3. With an immersion blender, partially blend the soup to thicken the base. You can blend as much or as little as you like; it’s just a matter of preference. (Alternatively, transfer a few cups of soup to a food processor, puree, pour them back into the pot, and stir well.)
4. Serve hot. Drizzle individual bowls with the remaining sesame oil and garnish with reserved chickpeas — or better yet, with roasted chickpeas.
