Corn and Chickpea Soup

Preperation time
20 m
Skills level

Serving size
6
Country of origin

Preparation time: 20 m
Cooking time: 60 m
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 4 ears of white corn, cut off the kernels
  • 2 cups of chick peas, drain and rinse well (canned are fine)
  • 1 (32-ounce) container of a good quality chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons of dried parsley flakes
  • 6 small red potatoes, rinsed and diced (optional)
  • 1 cup shredded white sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1-2 shallots, diced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons, freshly ground ginger ( you can use store bought ground powdered ginger, use 1 teaspoon)
  • black pepper to taste
  • ground sea salt to taste
  • a good quality extra virgin olive oil
  • a small handful fresh basil
  • Garnish: fresh basil, paprika, and a few chick peas on top and serve with bread
  • Another spicy Moroccan twist: add dried red chile flakes, parsley and cilantro in lieu of basil, and 1 teaspoon cumin for a kick! In this case, skip ginger.
Recipe Type:
Course:

This is my all-time favorite soup recipe that was featured in The Maria Shriver Sunday Paper. It can made more like a chowder by adding bits of corn and chunks of potatoes. I have made this soup so many times and keep changing it ever so slightly each time based on what I have in my fridge. With that said, I have finally recorded the basic recipe, but you can do variations on a theme depending upon what you have in stock and based on your own tastes. For instance, you can add the shallots as well as some celery if you have it on hand. More recently, I have added diced red, orange, and yellow peppers right into the soup after it’s been pureed. Use what you have on hand just be sure your flavors and colors are balanced. As always, taste as you go!

It you want a spicy, earthy vibe skip the basil and add instead fresh chopped cilantro and parsley along with some cumin (skip the ginger) and add spicy red chili flakes. Either way this soup is delicious and creamy without the addition of cream which adds excess fat and calories. Cheese in incorporated into this recipe, but you can simply omit it if you avoid cheese or cannot eat it.

This recipe is pureed, but if you like it chunky, remember to reserve a small amount of corn kernels and chickpeas!! Start by cutting the fresh kernels off the ear of corn and set those aside. Be sure to cut them off inside of a bowl with high sides so the kernels won’t get all over the floor.

In a large pot, add 1-2 drizzles of a good quality extra virgin olive oil, and sauté the diced shallots for 3-4 minutes along with a little ground sea salt. Then add the corn and let that cook for 5 minutes on very low heat. Next, add about 3/4 of the container of chicken stock (reserve the rest), and 2 cups of chickpeas, thoroughly rinsed and drained. Pour everything into a high-speed blender and puree. Then add the mixture back into the pot.

Once it’s back in the pot, add in another drizzle of olive oil. Let this cook for a few minutes.  Sometimes a foam will form on the top of the soup, from the chick peas, so gently skim it off with a large spoon, then add in the rest of your ingredients.  Next, add the paprika, black pepper, dried parsley flakes, the fresh grated ginger, and the cheese to the pot. Keep heat on low. The color will deepen as you add the paprika. You can be generous with these unless you don’t like things spicy than go easy on the black pepper and ginger -the ginger gives this soup a zing!

If you opt to add in the diced potatoes after you have pureed the soup, cut the potatoes into tiny pieces and drop in the soup (or you may add in some red, orange & yellow peppers). Let the soup simmer on low for roughly 1 hour. This soup tends to get very thick especially the longer it simmers, so have some extra broth on hand and add it as needed.

As a garnish add basil ribbons, chickpeas, bits of corn as well as diced red, orange, and yellow peppers if you wish or even some mini heirlooms cut in half, if they are in season, to make this soup visually appealing as well as nutritious! As always, avoid waste, make use of what’s on hand and be creative! Soups ‘on!