Curried Ginger Carrot Soup with Crispy Chickpeas
I have posted this recipe for carrot soup before but because I love it so much I wanted to adapt it slightly by adding some roasted chickpeas. I don't know about you, but sometimes when I eat soup I am pretty much still hungry almost immediately after finishing it. It is sometime not hearty enough and doesn't seem to fill me up. Since it is so good for you, I decided to top it with some roasted chickpeas adding some heartiness all the while still keeping it healthy.
Couple notes about the recipe: I have said it before but the key to silky smooth soup is to cook down the vegetables until they are completely soft and caramelized. It is not about the blender you have or the pot you roasted it in, it is about cooking those vegetables down until really soft - like so soft they are falling apart.
Also I used chicken stock in my recipe but if you are a vegetarian feel free to use vegetable stock or even water.
Lastly this carrot soup is delicious on its own, as are the roasted chickpeas. So feel free to make this recipe separately or together. But I can vouch from personal experience that you may want to make a double back of those chickpeas because they are midly addictive.
Enjoy!
Curried Ginger Carrot Soup with Crispy Chickpeas
For the soup:
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 2” pieces
- 1 large yukon gold potato, cut into 2” pieces
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 tsp. curry
- 1” piece fresh ginger, grated
- 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper
For the roasted chickpeas
- 1- 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- salt and pepper
Creme fraiche for garnish
In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion carrots and potato and cook covered stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 15 minutes.Add curry, ginger and a large pinch of salt and pepper, and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Add 2 cups stock and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes.
While the vegetables are cooking, make the crispy chickpeas. Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
In a bowl combine the chickpeas, olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin and large pinch of salt and pepper. Place chickpeas on prepared sheet tray and bake for 20 minutes or until the chickpeas are crispy. Set aside until ready to eat.
Using a blender and working in batches, puree the soup on high speed until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes per batch, adding remaining stock as needed. Return soup to pot and place over low heat and reheat to serving temperature. Season with salt and pepper.
Garnish bowls of soup with crème fraiche and a handful of crispy chickpeas
Makes about 2 quarts of soup.