chickpea and leek soup

Five years ago, I picked up French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano. I wasn’t fat, but I definitely weighed more than I would have liked.  About 30 pounds more. I wanted to maintain a healthy and balanced diet, but I had no idea how to even begin such a thing. I had no relationship or history with real food. I didn’t know how to cook. I didn’t know the slightest thing about nutrition. Like a lot of American kids who were born in the 1980s, food meant Happy Meals, Lunchables, and blue moon ice cream (okay, maybe blue moon ice cream is a Michigan kid thing). I was still in the mindset that if something was “organic”, it was better for you. In my case, that often meant justifying eating a box of cookies a tub of ice cream every week because it was organic.

The main message I took away from French Women Don’t Get Fat was that I could eat anything I’d like -  in moderation.  As far as I was concerned at the time, I ate in moderation, especially compared to my childhood.   I’ve since grown to really hate the term “in moderation” because it means something different to everyone. Does moderation mean fast food twice a week instead of everyday? A 20-oz soda a day instead of a liter?  There are now just some things I absolutely will not consume at all.  Like soda, Happy Meals, and Lunchables, though I’m still on a quest for the perfect homemade blue moon ice cream.  I did end up shedding those 30 extra pounds once I learned how to cook, so I guess I have a different meaning of what “in moderation” is now (whatever that means).

In the book, Guiliano recommended a 48-hour diet of a “magical leek soup”.  The leek soup consisted of nothing but boiled leeks and water.  What a great idea! At the time, I didn’t know what leeks even looked like, but decided to go ahead with the “diet” anyway.  I blindly went into the grocery store, searching for leeks and was a little disappointed when I found them (“so, they’re like big green onions?”).  I made the soup.  Probably the first soup I ever made from scratch.  I had a bowl and gave the rest to my dad.  I didn’t touch leeks again for another three years.  I’ve since grown to appreciate leeks, though I certainly don’t think I’ll torture myself with the “magical leek soup” again.  I made this chickpea and leek soup earlier this week to accompany dinner almost every night.   It was light, smooth, velvety, and incredibly budget-friendly.  Really, it was probably in the $5-6 range for about 8 servings.  Of course, I had to throw in a bulb of roasted garlic to the soup, since I can’t get enough of it.

Chickpea and Leek Soup
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1 bulb of garlic, roasted
1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
or
2 15-oz cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons cooking oil
5 leeks (white and pale green parts), sliced
4 cups water, chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt & pepper, to taste
optional garnishing: chopped fresh herbs (chives, parsley, rosemary, thyme) and/or parmiggiano reggiano

If using dried chickpeas, soak them overnight in a large bowl with a quart of water. Rinse and drain the beans and cook according to package directions. If using canned chickpeas, rinse the beans for 30-45 seconds over cold water, this will remove 35 to 40% of the total sodium from the canning liquid (source).

Preheat oven to 350F. Slice the top of the garlic bulb open, revealing the tips of the cloves. Place the garlic bulb on a sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle a teaspoon of olive over the top. Wrap the bulb in the foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast for 35 minutes. Remove from the foil and let it cool until it’s easy enough to handle.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. When hot, add the leeks cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the water or stock, bay leaf, coriander, thyme, salt, and pepper. Lower the heat and bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

When the roasted garlic is cool enough to handle, pop out the cloves into a small bowl and mash with a fork until they form a paste. Mix the paste into the stockpot.

Discard the bay leaf from the soup. Working in batches, blend the soup in a food processor or blender until smooth. Return the soup to the stockpot, add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Ladle into bowls and garnish with freshly chopped herbs and cheese, if desired.

Serves 6-8

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Related posts:

1. broccoli, potato, and leek soup
2. turnip and potato soup with herbs and cheese
3. roasted fennel and leek soup
4. bulgur and chickpea pilaf
5. white bean soup with olives

Tags: budget, dinner, easy, gluten-free, soup, vegan, vegetarian