October 17, 2018
By: Ann Karr, Pathways Cooks
The wonderful volunteers of the Pathways Cooks Program provide nutritional support, free of charge, to women who are undergoing cancer treatment. We also provide meals to their family members, and currently have 6 children, aged 5 to 14 years old, receiving nutritious meals that are so important during the growing years. This is a super stress reliever for parents dealing with important health issues.
In the Pathways Kitchen, the menus are designed to offer as many healthful ingredients that we can possibly get into our dishes – and that includes spices. The following perfect fall and winter soup incorporates 4 super spices: cinnamon, cumin, paprika and cayenne. Food researchers tell us that cinnamon, commonly used for baking, lowers blood sugar levels and has a powerful anti-diabetic effect. Cinnamon has potent antioxidant activity, helps fight inflammation, and has been shown to lower cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. It also gives this soup a delicious warm and spicy note.
Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Soup
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, small chop
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 heaping teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
- 3 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
- 1 quart vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (5-ounce) package pre-washed baby spinach
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until the onions begin to turn translucent; lower heat if browning starts to occur. Add garlic and spices and sauté a minute or so. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, broth, and sugar. Season with a couple pinches of salt and fresh pepper. Stir well. Chickpeas should be just covered with liquid. If needed add a little more water.
Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to low and gently simmer for 45 minutes. Remove soup from heat. Use a potato masher or emulsion blender right in the pot to make a little creamy consistency. Stir in the spinach and let heat through until wilted, just a couple of minutes.
Enjoy!