Balanced Living

Meatless Mondays

Posted by Arja on November 28 in Meatless, Soups and Stews

As the weather cools down and the nights are longer we start looking for comforting meals that will warm us up.  I’ve mentioned before that I’m a lover of soups, though I may not have made it clear just how much I love soup.  I’ve made a practice of trying to do one or two meatless meals for us during the week, and soup is a natural fit for these meals.

We are not, by any stretch of the imagination, vegetarians.  The hubs and I had that talk years ago, and while he is willing to eat just about anything I put in front of him, including vegetarian fare, he does not intend on giving up meat anytime soon.  Fair enough.  Truthfully, I like meat too.  I’ve discovered, however, that I feel better if not every meal revolves around meat.  Having one or two vegetarian meals a week helps me achieve the balance I’m looking for, and is also a lot easier on the pocketbook.  Whether you choose to adopt “Meatless Mondays” like we have, or just throw in the occasional vegetarian dish, I think you’ll find that there are many benefits to lessening your dependance on meals that are dependant on animal protein.  Give it a try!
 
This is a healthy, filling soup that is short on ingredients and big on taste!  It’s also super fast to prepare making it a great weeknight dinner option. 

Garlic, Chickpea & Spinach Soup

2 tbsp olive oil  
4 garlic cloves, crushed              
1 onion roughly chopped  
2 tsp ea ground coriander & cumin  
5 cups veg. or chicken stock  
350g potatoes, finely chopped  
15oz can chickpeas, drained (2 cups cooked)
1 tbsp flour
2/3 cup milk or non-dairy milk
2 tbsp tahini
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 bunch spinach or Swiss chard, shredded
Salt & Pepper

Step 1 - Heat oil in a large saucepan and cook garlic and onion for 5mins until softened and golden brown.  Stir in cumin and coriander and cook for another minute.
Step 2 - Pour in the stock and add chopped potatoes.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 10mins.  Add the chickpeas and simmer for another 5mins or until potatoes and chickpeas and just tender.
Step 3 - Blend together the flour, milk, tahini, and seasoning.  Stir into soup with spinach/chard.  Bring to a boil, stirring, and simmer for 2mins.

Note:  You could also take an immersion blender/stick blender and pulse the soup a few times before adding the leafy greens to change the consistency to a chunky puree. 

Serve on its own or with some crusty bread and don’t forget the leftovers for lunch the next day!