I made this last night for dinner and it’s very tasty.   It’s even better today as a leftover because the flavors have had a chance to meld.  This recipe is an effort to continue my quest for healthy and occasionally vegetarian dinners.   I didn’t have any bread in the house last night, but a nice hunk of rustic bread like this one would have been a nice addition to the meal.

Before adding the spinach, I used my immersion blender to blend some of the chickpeas and tomatoes.    It gave the soup a slightly creamy appearance while leaving some chunks of vegetables in it.

There’s nothing like a bowl of warm soup on a cold winter night.

Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Soup
Recipe from Dave Lieberman at foodnetwork.com

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
1 large onion, medium diced
6 to 8 cloves garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 heaping teaspoon sweet paprika
1 (14.5-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
3 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1 quart vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (5-ounce) package pre-washed baby spinach

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until the onions begin to turn translucent; lower heat if browning starts to occur. Add spices and saute a minute or so. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, broth, and sugar. Season with a couple pinches of salt and 10 grinds fresh pepper. Stir well. Chickpeas should be just covered with liquid. If level is shy, add some water so the chickpeas are just covered.

Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to low and gently simmer for 45 minutes.

Remove soup from heat. Use a potato masher or an immersion blender to mash up some of the chickpeas right in the pot. Stir in the spinach and let heat through until wilted, just a couple minutes.

Season again, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Serve soup, drizzled lightly with extra-virgin olive oil if desired.

Yield: 6 servings