This Spicy Chickpea, Tomato and Quinoa Soup is bound to warm you up on a cold winters night. Packed with nutrients, it’s a great way to get 2-3 serves of vegetables from this dish, and it’s perfect for vegetarians! The combination of legumes (chickpeas) with a whole grain (quinoa) makes a complete protein, which makes it a balanced meal. For those who are not keen on veggies, this soup can be blended as an alternative.
Spicy Chickpea, Tomato and Quinoa Soup
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large red onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, trimmed and diced
- 3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 capsicum (any colour), seeded and chopped
- 1 long red chilli, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 420g tin no-added-salt chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 65g quinoa briefly rinsed
- 400g tin no-added-salt chopped tomatoes
- Large handful of parsley or coriander
- Grainy bread
Method:
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook the onion and celery, stirring for 5-6 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, chilli, capsicum and spices and cook, stirring for a few minutes. Then add tomato paste and cook for another minute.
- Add the chickpeas, quinoa, and tomatoes and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Serve up into bowls and sprinkle some fresh herbs onto. Enjoy with some crusty grainy bread.
*recipe adapted from “Supergrains” by Chrissy Freer (2013).
