Chickpea and Spinach Soup (vegetarian)

There is nothing better than a bowl of hot soup on a cold and dark day: you have it and straight away you feel much better. I like creamy soups very much but I know they are insufficient  and they have to be followed by a second course. And sometimes there is simply not enough time to make two courses. 

This Chickpea and Spinach Soup is a complete vegetarian, one pot meal with plant proteins from chickpeas and lots of goodness from spinach. I have always known that spinach is good for us but since I realized how good, I have been trying to include it in many dishes to make sure it regularly appears in our diet.  So I add spinach to salads, soups and pasta dishes but I also use it as a main hero e.g. in Spanakopita.

As far as goodness is concerned, spinach is on top of the list of nutrient dense foods as it has very few calories but it is an excellent source of  vitamins K and A, manganese, folate, magnesium and iron. Spinach also helps to protect us against inflammatory, cardiovascular and bone problems as well as cancer. And if you are still not convinced how good spinach is for you, a whole long list of its benefits can be found in this link.

INGREDIENTS (4 portions):

2tbsp olive oil,

4 garlic cloves, crushed,

1 onion thinly chopped,

2tsp ground cumin,

2tsp ground coriander,

1-1.2l of vegetable stock,

350g potatoes peeled cut into 2cm cubes,

1 can (420g) of chickpeas,

1tbsp cornflour,

150ml milk,

2tbsp tahini paste,

200g shreded spinach,

Salt and pepper.

METHOD:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot, add the garlic and onion and fry on a low heat for 5 minutes till they are soft.
2. Add the cumin and coriander, stir and fry for 1 more minute.
3. Pour the stock, add the potatoes, increase the heat. When the soup starts boiling, lower the heat and simmer it for approx. 10 minutes.
4. Add the chickpeas and cook for 5 minutes more.
5. In a mug blend together the corn flour, tahini paste and milk, add to the soup and stir.
6. Add the spinach and season.

Source: “Vegetarian - the best-ever recipe collection” by Linda Fraser