By Katherine Hanson
One of the greatest joys of working remotely from home is having the ability to cook
a nutritious and satisfying meal in the middle of the day. Thankfully, gone are the
days when I had to make-do with sad leftovers in Tupperware or spending more
money than I needed to on a meal out before rushing back to the office. Instead, I
now get to peruse my refrigerator and allow my pantry ingredients to speak to me
as to what would best serve my body and soul.
One chilly, rainy day this past fall, I was craving a healthy but satisfying soup for my
mid-day meal to warm my bones. I had a few cans of chickpeas, fresh tomatoes,
onions, and some roasted poblano peppers that my husband had just brought back
for me from his recent hunting trip to New Mexico. Of course, the Georgia Gold™
turmeric powder was on my mind, and I realized how naturally these ingredients
would compliment the turmeric. I didn’t want to spend a bunch of time chopping all
of my ingredients to a uniform shape, so I thought to toss it all into one pot to cook,
and then transfer the ingredients to my Vitamix to combine it all together into one
silky flavor experience. I call this recipe a “quick-soup” because it was literally so
quick to make!
To keep this recipe gluten-free, plant rich, and the texture interesting, I came up
with the idea of treating the remaining chickpeas like croutons, which I toasted in
olive oil and coated with a generous pinch of our Georgia Gold™ turmeric powder
once removed from the heat. The trick with these “croutons” is to remove as much
moisture from them as possible – if time allows, disperse the chickpeas on a sheet
pan lined with a paper towel for a few hours. Place them on top of the soup, along
with a few chopped green onions, right when you’re ready to chow down in order to
maintain maximum crispiness.
The flavors that resulted from my experimenting were nothing short of fantastic.
Not only did I love the taste, but I was thrilled to have created such a satisfying
lunch that was packed with nutrients and plant protein. The next time you’re
peckish for a satisfying and nutrient-dense easy lunchtime option, I hope you’ll give
this soup a try.
Recipe
Serves 2
Roasted Poblano, Chickpea, and Tomato Quick-Soup with Toasted Georgia Gold™
Turmeric Chickpea Croutons
Ingredients
4 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
1/3 sweet or white onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 carrot or 5 baby carrots, roughly chopped
1 to 2 roasted poblano peppers, peeled and seeds removed (canned, drained can
also be used)
1 15oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed, divided
1 ½ cups chopped baby tomatoes, or one 15oz can of diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
3 teaspoons Georgia Gold™ turmeric powder (fermented or regular), separated
2 teaspoons chives or green onions, chopped (optional)
Instructions
1. To make the soup: Add the onion, garlic, and carrots to a medium pot and
sauté over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until the onions
are slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the prepared poblano
peppers, ½ of the chickpeas, tomatoes, your broth of choice, and salt and
pepper to taste. Bring to a soft boil and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the
carrots and chickpeas soften and flavors meld.
2. Safely pour the soup mixture into a blender (an immersion blender can also
be used here if preferred) and add 2 teaspoons of Georgia Gold™ turmeric
powder. Puree until smooth, or until the desired texture is reached, adding
more stock if it too thick. Work in batches if needed so as not to overfill the
blender and potentially scald yourself.
3. To make the croutons: For best results, allow the chickpeas to dry as much
as possible – the more moisture you remove, the more crispy the chickpea
croutons will be. When ready, heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat
with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, add the remaining
chickpeas, and toss with salt and pepper to taste, and stir occasionally. Allow
a nice golden brown crust to form on the chickpeas as they toast. Once they
have been toasted to your satisfaction, remove the pan from the heat and
sprinkle the chickpeas with the remaining teaspoon of the Georgia Gold™
turmeric powder of your choosing, and stir to coat.
4. To serve, pour the desired amount of soup straight from the blender into
bowls. Top the soup with the turmeric toasted chickpeas and a sprinkling of
chives or green onions, if desired. Enjoy!
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