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Spicy Chickpea & Tomato Soup

If you find yourself with a rainy day and too many ripe tomatoes this summer, try
this recipe out at home.
I love how quickly the whole soup comes together, especially if you start with
canned chickpeas that have already been cooked.
Serve this hearty soup with warm garlic bread for dipping, or even grilled cheese
sandwiches!
The following recipe serves four or five hungry people.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 white onions (large dice)
  • 32 oz 2 lbs fresh tomatoes, large dice
  • 1 red bell pepper (large dice)
  • 1 jalapeno pepper (roughly chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt (or more to taste)
  • ½ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
  • ¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
  • 1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • Juice of ¼ lime
  • ½ cup sour cream (crème fraiche, or Greek yogurt, as garnish)
  • ¼ cup pine nuts (lightly toasted, as garnish)
  • 16 fresh basil leaves (roughly chopped, as garnish)

Instructions 

  • Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, until it the oil is hot.
  • Add the onions, tomatoes, red bell pepper, and jalapeno pepper, and cook while stirring for roughly twenty minutes, or until the tomatoes have begun to break down and release their juices.
  • Add the minced garlic, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, granulated garlic, Kosher salt, freshly-ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
  • Continue to cook the vegetable for roughly thirty more minutes, or until the vegetables are completely tender and soft.
  • Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas and continue to cook for an additional five minutes.
  • Blend the contents using an immersion blender or high-speed blender, adding more olive oil if the contents are too thick.
  • When the soup reaches a smooth puree consistency, taste, and add the lime juice and lime zest.
  • Taste again and add more Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, if desired.
  • Serve the soup warm, with garlic bread or grilled cheese on the side.
  • Top each bowl of soup with some sour cream, crème fraiche, or Greek yogurt, along with some toasted pine nuts and fresh basil.

Notes

While the quantity of olive oil used here may seem excessive, it lends a richness to the soup that goes well with the blended chickpeas.
This soup can be made in advance and reheated several days after being created—it tastes wonderful and is really easy to freeze to eat down the road.