North African Chickpea Soup | Lunch

This fragrant soup assembles quickly and can be made with more or less heat,

depending on how much cayenne you add. If you have harissa on hand, you can

use it instead of cayenne to add heat as well as extra flavour. A recipe tester’s

Moroccan husband gave this soup a thumbs-up and suggests serving it with a

nice crusty bread for dipping, as they would in Morocco.

SERVES 6

SLOW COOKER SIZE: 5- TO 6-QUART

COOK TIME: 6 TO 7 HOURS ON LOW

GLUTEN-FREE

SOY-FREE

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil (optional)

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

6 cups vegetable broth

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. For the best flavour, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the onion, carrots, garlic, and ginger and sauté until softened, about 5

minutes. Stir in the cumin, coriander, and cayenne. Alternatively, omit the

oil and sauté these ingredients in a few tablespoons of water or combine

them in a microwave-safe bowl with a little water, cover, and microwave

for 2 minutes.

2. Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker. Add the chickpeas,

tomatoes, broth, and salt and pepper to taste. The amount of salt needed will

depend upon the saltiness of your broth. Cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours.

3. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley and cook for 10 minutes longer. Taste

and adjust the seasonings, if needed. You can serve the soup as is, but it’s

even better pureed. To do this, use an immersion blender and puree the

soup right in the slow cooker. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you

can puree the soup in batches in a regular blender or food processor. Serve

hot.