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The Accidental Soup Recipe: Chick Peas, Ginger, and Coriander, Oh my!

February 7, 2008 by Nicole 71 Comments

Garbanzo Bean Soup

Although it started as an accident, this Chick Pea Soup with Ginger and Coriander has turned into a favorite in my kitchen. It’s simple, healthy and satisfying and can be on the table in about 10 minutes (ok, maybe 15).

First of all, let me tell you how this soup recipe came about. The truth is, the soup had it’s beginnings as a botched batch of hummus. I tend to use a lot of olive oil in my hummus (and in everything else) so I decided I would try to make a lighter version by blending in some of the liquid from the can of chick peas rather than using extra olive oil to thin it.

I think it was a good idea in theory. The problem was that I added way too much liquid! Ok, I’ll admit it, I just poured the whole can into my food processor. Guess what? That wasn’t a good idea. Yes, I do make mistakes in the kitchen. Often. I just don’t usually tell you about them πŸ˜‰

Since I hadn’t added any of the other hummus ingredients at that point, I decided to head in another direction and try making a soup from the thin chick pea puree. I checked the pantry and fridge and pulled out a few inredients I thought would compliment the accidental soup.

That first version was super simple with just a little fresh garlic and ginger, some ground coriander, crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper. Simple, but delicious! Not only that, it was extremely healthy and filling since chick peas are filled with protein and fiber.

I’ve never had an exact recipe for the soup because every time I’ve made it, the ingredients have varied slightly. It’s one of those things where the flavors can be as simple or complex as you want. I took these photos the last time I made it and they’ve been sitting on my computer for a couple of weeks. Of course I forgot to write down exact amounts so you’ll just have to check out the photos, read the method, and wing it. Why not? That’s how the soup happened in the first place πŸ™‚

Ingredients for Garbanzo Bean Soup

These are the ingredients I used: extra virgin olive oil, organic canned garbanzo beans (chick peas), ground cumin, ground coriander, half a seeded serrano chili, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, juice from a lime, and cilantro for the garnish.

Garbanzo Beans in Food Processor

Step One: Pour one can of organic garbanzo beans, liquid and all, into a food processor or blender.

Blending the Garbanzo Beans

Step 2: Blend the garbanzo beans into a smooth puree. As you can see, my mini food processor leaks a bit during this process but that doesn’t really matter πŸ™‚

Blended Garbanzo Beans in Processor

This is what the puree will look like. It will be fairly smooth but still a bit grainy in consistency, that’s fine.

Spices for Garbanzo Bean Soup

Step 3: Get your ingredients ready. Mince or press a couple cloves of garlic, grate a one-inch cube of fresh ginger, mince a chili if you want some heat (I used half a seeded serrano chili), measure out a teaspoon or two of ground coriander and half a teaspoon or so of ground cumin (the amounts are entirely up to you).

Olive Oil in Pot

Step 4: Heat a medium saucepan and add a tablespoon or so of olive oil

Garlic and Serrano Chili

Step 5: Add the garlic and chili and cook for a minute or so.

Garlic, Serrano Chili, and Ginger

Step 6: Throw in the grated ginger and cook for a minute or so longer.

Dry Spices Added to Pot

Step 7: Add the coriander and cumin and stir for about half a minute until the spices are fragrant.

Pouring in Bean Puree

Step 8: Stir in the chick pea puree. If you want, you can thin the soup with a little chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water. If you are in a hurry, just cook the soup until it’s heated through then taste and season with a bit of salt and pepper. If you have the time, cook the soup for a bit longer on medium-low heat to let the flavors intensify. If you decide to cook the soup longer, it’s best to thin it with the broth or water first because it will thicken again as it cooks and the liquid evaporates.

Garbanzo Bean Soup

Step 9: Garnish the soup with fresh chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice (lemon would be fine if that’s what you have on hand).

Step 10: Eat.

So that’s it! Simple.

Recipe Notes: If you prefer not to use the liquid from the canned beans, you can drain and rinse them and then puree the beans with some chicken or vegetable broth or water. I’ve done it both ways and I actually liked the original version the best. I’ve been using the organic canned chick peas from Trader Joe’s that are just packed in water and sea salt. Another of my favorite brands of canned beans is Goya. But, use whatever you happen to like!

Beware of adding too much salt if you are using the bean liquid from the can. The beans are packed in salted water so you may not need to add any salt at all. Taste first, then season if necessary!

If you don’t have any fresh chilies but want to add a little heat to the soup, stir in a little crushed red chili. If you really want it spicy, try using both. If you prefer no heat, don’t add either. Feel free to use more garlic and/or ginger if those are flavors that you really like.

The soup is really great with a dollop of plain yogurt on top.Β  Sour cream would also work.

This recipe makes two small servings of soup or one large serving.

Hope you enjoy it!

Filed Under: Herbs and Spices, Main Courses, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Robin says

    April 22, 2008 at 7:54 am

    I love this soup -- as someone else said, it's silly easy, and it tastes *so good. I'm not a fan of traditional breakfast food, so I've been making this for my breakfast. In fact, there's a pot of it going right now. :-D
    Reply
  2. Nicole says

    April 22, 2008 at 7:59 am

    Robin: So glad you love the soup! I think it would be great for breakfast...I'm about to eat some black beans and couscous for breakfast myself :-)
    Reply
  3. Robin says

    April 22, 2008 at 12:01 pm

    Hmmm, black beans and couscous, you say? Sounds like perfect breakfast food! lol.
    Reply
  4. jody says

    June 18, 2008 at 3:26 pm

    Hi there! I really don’t know how I happened upon your website but I love it! I was intrigued by your Garbanzo Bean Soup and attempted making it myself and was blown away – it is sooooo good! And so easy! I normally am not really a soup person but I could eat this forever! Thanks so much for sharing!
    Reply
  5. mahek says

    October 18, 2008 at 11:22 pm

    hi I just love your blog and have subscribed to your blog too , so that i can know when you make a new posting. This seems to be a great great soup, i had seen such a soup (the consistency was different and ingredients a little different too) being made on a television program which was featuring MOROCCO so its a moroccan soup.. you have illustrated it with such lovely pictures too, thanks a million.
    Reply
  6. mahek says

    October 18, 2008 at 11:23 pm

    i would like to know how you link your previous related recipes do you go and find links for each one and add it
    Reply
  7. hillary_b says

    January 6, 2009 at 12:23 am

    i made this tonight- it was easy and delicious! I ate the whole thing (which wasn't too much) and wasn't hungry all night! Thanks for the recipe...
    Reply
  8. Helen Hudson says

    January 11, 2009 at 2:32 am

    I made this soup as a starter for a dinner party last night. It looked and tasted just great and I'm sure they never guessed how easy it was to make. Many thanks.
    Reply
  9. mahek says

    January 11, 2009 at 8:23 am

    hi i love the vessels used by you for this soup too!!! can you tell me which brand is best for a mini processor as in India we do get food processors but never heard of a mini food processor but i have my sis staying in the US and she could get one for me. I love the steel saucepan too very smart!!!
    Reply
  10. Marcia says

    January 20, 2009 at 3:28 pm

    Hi! love the accident! thanks. do you have any others? Best wishes, Marcia
    Reply
  11. Morgaine says

    January 23, 2009 at 12:08 pm

    This sounds so yummy, but I would use my own ingredients, rather than any packaged. This past Thanksgiving, (2008) I bought the "Pacific Free Range Chicken Broth" and it wreaked of boullion and had a bright yellow color. I could smell it right away and threw it down the sink. Thank God, I had my own homemade stock in the freezer, otherwise my dinner would have been ruined. I complained to Whole Foods when returning it. When you see free range, it is easy to assume it is top quality. Will wing it here and use this offering as a base, for what sounds like an awesome soup. Thanks you. :)
    Reply
  12. beverly says

    March 16, 2009 at 8:23 pm

    My son who broke his jaw in 3 places will be trying this tonight. I have been searching for healthy foods he can drink through a straw! So far he has only wanted cheese soup and I am worried about nutrition.
    Reply
  13. MrPalooza says

    April 17, 2009 at 11:32 pm

    Amazing recipe and simple. Made it for the girlfriend last night and she thinks I'm just brilliant . SHhhhhh . Thanks
    Reply
  14. justkrish says

    July 12, 2009 at 3:37 pm

    Just made this soup and it was wonderful. It took exactly 10 minutes. I didn't have fresh ginger so I used ginger powder, added about a cup of organic veg. broth so it could feed my husband with a big appetite. It had a wonderful flavor. He said it was still a little to "gritty" for him so I took the rest of the soup and threw it in the blender for a minute and now all the soup is gone. Thanks so much! Keep up the great work.
    Reply
  15. La Cheif says

    April 29, 2010 at 4:06 pm

    Nicole - While I love the way that you give great photos for each step in the process, it makes for a bit of a chore when transcribing the recipes. Perhaps you would consider listing the recipe in a more traditional format at the bottom of the page for ease of copying. Thanks for all the recipes!
    Reply
  16. Nay says

    September 4, 2010 at 2:18 pm

    Made this tonight, lovely! Was a bit uncertain about the lime but it gave a great kick, perfect finishing flavour. Have to agree that it would be useful to have the ingredients listed as well as the visual step-by-step guide. Thanks!
    Reply
  17. sabelmouse says

    September 10, 2010 at 8:12 am

    cool. i was looking for a way to use some slightly over the date hummus. perfect.
    Reply
  18. Oswald Poole says

    June 12, 2011 at 3:27 pm

    Emilee Groch
    Reply
  19. Arthur says

    February 27, 2012 at 3:20 pm

    Wow! This is fantastic! The only thing I changes was I pureed only half of the can and left the other half to go in whole. Thank you so much this was so quick and so easy to make. I'm definitely coming back to this website.
    Reply
  20. JC says

    March 17, 2012 at 10:22 am

    This looks fantastic! I started soaking a bag of chick peas last night since I'm trying to cook from scratch more, so I'll be making a batch of hummus and a batch of this later this evening. I love easy recipes like this!
    Reply
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