Description
This spicy tomato chickpea soup is super easy to make and consists of simple everyday ingredients. Inspired by Mexican tortilla soup, it features cumin, lime, and cilantro.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Soup
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 small (or 1 large) celery stalks, diced
- 1 medium red or yellow onion, diced
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
- One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (see note below)
- One 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)
- Fresh cilantro and diced avocado, for serving
For the Tortilla Crisps (optional, see note below)
- 4 taco-size corn tortillas
- About 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- A pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add the carrots, celery, onion, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more.
- Add the tomatoes, 4 cups broth, and 2 tablespoons citrus juice. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Add the potatoes and chickpeas, and simmer with the lid ajar until the potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork, 30 to 40 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, make the tortilla crisps (optional). Heat the oven to 350ºF. Place 1 tortilla on a cutting board and lightly brush both sides with oil. Place another tortilla on top of the greased one and brush the top with oil; continue stacking and brushing all tortillas. Slice the stack into 1/3-inch strips. Transfer to a baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until the tortillas are lightly brown and crispy, flipping once halfway through baking, about 15 minutes.
- When the soup is ready, ladle about half into a separate container and puree the half remaining in the pot with an immersion blender (see below for upright blender instructions). Combine both halves, taste, and adjust the seasonings, if needed. (If you don’t have a blender, you can leave the soup unblended).
- Serve topped with cilantro, avocado, and tortillas.
Notes
- For a lower-carb version, sub the potatoes with cauliflower.
- For a speedier option, top the soup with crushed store-bought tortilla chips (although they’ll be a lot saltier).
- Upright blender safety: Since the soup is hot, it’s important that the steam has a way to escape the blender while you puree. Remember to take out the removable center of the blender lid before blending. If the steam is trapped inside, the lid will blow off when you start blending and you may burn yourself (not to mention, get soup all over your ceiling).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of the recipe - without toppings
- Calories: 180
- Fat: 4.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Fiber: 7.5 g
- Protein: 6.1 g
