Chickpea and Cabbage Soup

This chickpea and cabbage soup has been a winter favorite of mine for years. Loaded with vitamins and minerals, the stewed flavors of chickpeas and vegetables combined with just a little spice makes for a very simple, nutritious and delicious cold weather beater.

Chickpea and Cabbage Soup

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on December 10, 2007 Simple, warming and nourishing soup with chickpeas, cabbage, potatoes and tomatoes Print this recipe Ingredients: 3/4 cup dried chickpeas (2 1/2 cups cooked) 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed 1 small green cabbage, shredded 1 tomato, diced 2 cups vegetable stock 1 large potato, diced 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt 1 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped juice of 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) Instructions: Rinse the chickpeas and soak for 8 hours or overnight in several inches of water with a little yogurt whey or lemon juice added. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a medium saucepan and cover with 3 1/2 cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until the chickpeas are soft and tender. Drain the chickpeas and reserve the cooking liquid. Using a potato masher, genty mash a quarter to a third of the chickpeas. In a large saucepan, cook the onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of water over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until the onions are soft. Stir in the cabbage and tomato, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked but not falling apart. Remove the vegetables from the pan into a bowl and set aside. Return the saucepan to the stove and add the potato, vegetable stock, and 2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid from the chickpeas. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the chickpeas, vegetables and remaining ingredients, and simmer for at least 10 minutes to let the flavors mingle, or let the soup simmer for up to an hour before serving. Serve hot in large bowls with a grain dish or fresh bread on the side. Makes 8 servings