Lemony Chickpea Soup

Step 1

Add the rice to a fine-mesh sieve and rinse a few times until almost clear, then drain.

Step 2

Drain and rinse one can of chickpeas and put it aside for step 5. Drain and rinse the other can of chickpeas and transfer to a food processor or small-capacity blender for step 8.

Step 3

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the carrots and onion. Season with a few pinches of salt. Stir occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes, deglazing the pot with a splash of broth if a lot of food sticks.

Step 4

Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomato paste plus spices (oregano, coriander, turmeric, and red pepper flakes). Stir almost constantly for 1 to 2 minutes until the tomato paste is a darker red brick color.

Step 5

Add the rinsed rice and toss to coat for 1 minute, deglazing with a splash of broth as needed. Add one can of drained chickpeas, plus ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Pour in the broth, followed by half of the chopped dill. Bring to a boil.

Step 6

Cover the pan, and reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the rice is soft.

Step 7

While the soup simmers, roughly chop the spinach and make the chickpea puree.

Step 8

Chickpea Puree: To the chickpeas in the food processor or blender, add the milk, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, nutritional yeast, miso, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Blend until pureed and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt as needed.

Step 9

Stir the Chickpea Puree into the soup, then add the chopped spinach. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the soup thickens and greens slightly wilt.

Step 10

Off the heat, stir in the remaining dill and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste, adding salt/pepper or more lemon juice as desired. Transfer to bowls and drizzle each bowl with a bit of good-quality olive oil for richness.