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Garbanzo Bean Soup

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It seems to be turning into soup month around here.  I have another GREAT one for you today.  Do you like hummus?  If so, I’m pretty sure you’ll love this Garbanzo Bean Soup! I think it’s fantastic and a snap to throw together as well.

Ok, wait…don’t run off!  You’re probably thinking Garbanzo Bean Soup? Really?  That doesn’t sound very appetizing! I know, I  did. Every time my mom would tell me how good it is and I should make it, I was like, “nah, that doesn’t sound that appealing”.  Well, its cold outside and I had three cans of garbanzo beans eating up space in my tiny pantry so I thought, why not? I’ll give it a try.

I’m not sure why I was so hesitant to make it, I love hummus after all, and it’s made from garbanzo beans (chickpeas). To make this soup I thought I’d use my favorite homemade hummus as my inspiration and see what all the hullabaloo was about.  Boy am I glad I did.  You know something’s good when you find yourself going back for “just a tiny bit more”.  Yup, that was me.

Now here’s the important part.

DO NOT OMIT THE TOPPINGS

Garbanzo Bean Soup ToppingsThe squeeze of fresh lemon juice, drizzle of olive oil and sprinkling of sumac and chopped fresh parsley over the top of the soup is key. They bring the flavors together and add an element of freshness to the soup that’s important.  The toppings take the soup from good to fantastic.  It’s a VERY important finishing touch!

Sumac is a reddish spice, popular in the Middle East and Mediterranean region.  It’s frequently used as a tabletop condiment and has a fruity sourness to it.  I recommend you try to use sumac if you can.  Otherwise, you may substitute paprika but it’s not the same, and you might need a bit more lemon for the tartness.

And don’t forget to grab some pita bread for dunking in this Garbanzo Bean Soup if you like!

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Garbanzo Bean Soup

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Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 15 1/2oz. cans garbanzo beans, drained
  • 4 C. chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 4–5 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 Tbls. olive oil (plus more to drizzle on top)
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • 2 tsp. coriander
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp. dried parsley
  • 1 Tbls. tahini (optional, I added it but if you don’t have any, don’t use it)
  • Salt & Pepper, to taste

To drizzle on top your bowl of soup:

  • sumac – a hefty pinch
  • squeeze of fresh lemon juice
  • olive oil
  • chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Heat 2 tbls. olive oil in soup pot. Add onions, celery, salt (about 1/4-1/2 tsp.) and several grinds of fresh ground black pepper. Saute until soft and golden.  Add garlic and sauté a minute or so more.
  2. Add cumin, coriander and cayenne. Stir to combine and coat the vegetables..
  3. Add stock, garbanzo beans, parsley and tahini (if using) and simmer about 10-15 minutes for flavors to combine.
  4. Blend soup with immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender (careful with hot liquids in a blender!).

To serve:

  1. Top each bowl with some fresh squeezed lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, a hefty pinch of sumac and some chopped fresh parsley