This recipe has such a special place in my heart, because it reminds me of some of my sweetest memories. I am the happiest when I am surrounded by friends and family, and this soup is something I had every single passover at my grandma’s house.
I have always wanted to remake it and never actually did until today, which is really confusing, considering how good it is and how easy it was to make it! I think I might’ve been subconsciously scared that I could never make it as good as my grandma makes it. Turns out – I can! Which means, you can, too.
I have talked about my love for chickpeas on here before. They’re hard not to love. They are delicious and high in protein! I usually toss mine into salads, or make my famous Moroccan Chickpeas, or blend them into hummus, or into falafel, the possibilities are endless.
P.s.- I know it’s summer, I know it’s 110 degrees out, and I know I am probably the only person making soups right now. But it’s my favorite type of food to eat & make. Plus, there was a big storm here in NYC this week (Isaias), combine that with the AC running on arctic temperatures, and it tricks my body into thinking it’s January.
Grandma's Healthy Chickpea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound / 450g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (one bag)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion or 1/2 of a big onion, chopped
- 4 small carrots, chopped
- 1 medium sweet potato, chopped
- 1 medium/ large potato, chopped
- 4 celery sticks, chopped
- 4 curly kale stalks, leaves only, chopped (optional)
- 6-7 cups water
- 2 handfuls parsley, chopped
- 2 handfuls cilantro, chopped
- 1 cube vegetable bouillon
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Soak the chickpeas overnight. If you choose to use canned chickpeas, I am sure it would workout just fine. I have never tried it, because I want my grandma to respect me, but I’d add it in the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Chop and prep all the veggies.
- In a large pot, on medium-high heat, heat the olive oil (feel free to use water or broth if you are oil free).
- Add the onion, celery, carrots, sweet potato, potato, kale, and mix.
- Sauté for a few minutes (6-8m or until the onion is golden), add the spices and chickpeas, and mix.
- Add the water and mix. Bring everything to a boil. Once the water is boiling, lower the heat and let simmer with the lid ajar until the veggies and chickpeas are fully cooked (about 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the veggies and the chickpeas you are using).
- Add the cilantro and parsley.
- Use a stick blender and roughly blend it all together. If you don’t have one, carefully transfer half of the soup to a blender and blend. I like to keep it on the chunkier side.
- Adjust flavors (adding more salt or more pepper if desired).
- Enjoy!
- My grandma’s recipe did not include kale. I just really love kale and tend to throw it into most of my meals for extra nutrients. If you don’t have any kale, or just aren’t a fan of it, leave it out. You could also swap it for spinach if you prefer it.
- The longer you soak the chickpeas, the less time they will take to cook.
- I like to garnish this soup with cilantro and serve it with warm bread! 🙂
Tips & Tricks:
