Spinach Chickpea Soup

It was raining outside and very nice and cool inside the house. The sweet smell of rain,  a mood to cook something different, to see my loved ones enjoying their food, the satisfaction coming from that… all that inspired me to cook this wonderful soup.

Or you can say that a bunch of spinach leaves about to wilt, chickpeas frozen to death, potatoes dying for attention and immense laziness to cook up a whole dinner led me to whip this up.

Whatever be the reason to cook, this garlic flavored soup tasted wonderful. With potatoes and chickpeas in it, you can have them as the main meal itself (there by saving yourself the trouble of cooking anything more).

Warm toasted bread, a bowl of hot soup, great company, candle light dinner and rain outside. Cannot ask for more in life! (hmmm…may be for the power to come back soon!)

Ingredients:

• Onion                              :   1, chopped
• Garlic                              :   4 cloves, chopped
• Spinach                          :   1 bunch, cleaned and chopped
• Chana/Chick pea        :   400 gms, cooked
• Potatoes                         :   3 big, cooked and chopped
• Fennel Powder             :   1 tsp
• Coriander Powder      :   1 tsp
• Milk                                  :    2/3 cup (or Cream)
• Corn Flour                     :   1 tbsp
• Stock                                :   4 cups
• Tahini paste                  :   1 tbsp
• Olive oil                          :   1 tbsp
• Salt and Pepper

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add the onions and garlic. When the onion turns brown, add the cumin or fennel powder and coriander powder. Cook for 2 minutes and add the spinach.
2. When the spinach is slightly done, add 3 cups of water or vegetable stock. I used Maggi stock cubes for this.
3. Add the cooked potatoes and chickpea now. Let everything come to a boil.
4. In a separate bowl, add the cornflour, tahini paste(if using), milk, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly so that there aren’t any dry lumps of corn flour.
5. Add this to the soup and let it all come to a boil. Cook for another 5 minutes, check and adjust seasonings according to your taste. Take off the heat and serve hot.

Note:

I have adapted this from Linda Fraser’s book : The Vegetarian Kitchen.

Linked to:

• Hearth and Soul Hop
• Dish It Out, for this month’s theme of Potatoes and Leafy Greens
• My Legume Love Affair, started by Susan
• Herbs and Flowers, for this month’s theme : Garlic