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

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 😉

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 🙂

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.

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

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 🙂

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

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).

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

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

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

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

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.

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.  Sour cream would also work.

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

Hope you enjoy it!