Recipe:

Chickpea Soup with Saffron and Mushroom-Almond Garnish

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Serves 6 to 8

This soup offers a bevy of complementary flavors and textures: buttery fingerling potatoes, crunchy almonds, tender chickpeas, vibrant parsley and earthy mushrooms.

Ingredients

Soup
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 pound fingerling potatoes, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 cups vegetable broth
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 (15-ounce) cans cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Garnish
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups cremini or white button mushrooms, quartered
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Method

To make the soup, heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender, stirring frequently, 6 to 8 minutes. Add saffron and stir one minute. Add potatoes, increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until potatoes are browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Add wine and stir to scrape any brown bits that have accumulated at the bottom of the pan. Add vegetable broth, chickpeas and parsley and bring to boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Allow soup to cool. Puree two cups of the soup in a blender. Return puree to pot. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for five minutes to reheat.

Meanwhile, make the garnish. Warm oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and lemon juice and sauté until mushrooms release their juices, 4 to 6 minutes. Add almonds and parsley, sauté for one minute, and set aside.

Ladle soup into bowls and spoon the mushroom-almond garnish over it.

Nutrition

Per serving (About 16oz/451g-wt.): 330 calories (110 from fat), 12g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 10g protein, 46g total carbohydrate (9g dietary fiber, 5g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 930mg sodium

Tags: Make Ahead, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Dairy Free, High Fiber, Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Vegan

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