Tomato Ginger Soup with Crunchy Chickpeas

Step 1

Preheat: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

Step 2

Start Soup: Heat grapeseed oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the white sections of the scallions (reserve the green sections for garnish), garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until scallions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes (and their juices), chickpeas (1 cup), paprika, bouillon cube, bay leaves, and salt. Stir to mix.

Step 3

Simmer: Cover pot with the lid slightly ajar, and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, to let the flavors develop.

Step 4

Bake Chickpeas: Meanwhile, scatter chickpeas (2 cups) on a parchment lined baking sheet. Pat dry with a clean dish towel. Drizzle chickpeas with grapeseed oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Bake until crispy, 25 to 30 minutes, shaking the pan half way. The chickpeas will continue to firm up as they cool.

Step 5

Finish Soup: Stir coconut milk into soup. Bring to a simmer. Remove bay leaves. Transfer soup to a blender and process until smooth (depending your blender size, you may need to do this in batches). Taste and season, if needed (see note 4). Divide soup into bowls and top with the crispy chickpeas and reserved scallions.