Winter has its perks – we get to try out and eat all sorts of delicious soups! They are great for this time of year as they are warming, filling and easy, just like this Spiced Carrot, Coconut and Chickpea Soup. I also love putting portions in the freezer to reheat when I’m having lazy day.
This soup is a twist on the classic pairing of carrot and coriander. I came up with this version as I wanted to something fuller (hence the coconut milk), with a bit of a kick to it (bring in the spices) and more protein (in come the chickpeas!). This works so much better as a full meal when I’m on the go in the cold of UK January – I pack it up in my thermos flask to bring out when hunger pangs strike.
I think root vegetable soups taste much better when the vegetables have been roasted. They become sweeter and caramelise a bit, giving more flavour. This soup could also work with roasted pumpkin or butternut squash instead of carrot. All will taste great – it sometimes just depends what you have in the cupboard.
We LOVE our spices at The Vegan Larder, so soup is a great excuse for me to raid the spice cupboard. Of course you can put less spices in if you prefer. Cumin and coriander are staples, and I wanted some cardamom for a slight fragrant twist in the flavour, as I often don’t find this in soup.
Coconut milk makes soup thick and creamy, and gives a nice helping of healthy fat which is great for you, and helps to keep you full and satisfied. It also goes beautifully with the spices. The chickpeas provide a great source of protein, again keeping you nice and full, and they give a solid contrast to the creamy soup.
The soup can be served as a starter, or as a brilliant lunch with some toast and maybe some salad.
Spiced Carrot, Coconut and Chickpea Soup
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
- 16 large carrots (peeled and roughly chopped )
- 2 medium onions (chopped)
- 2 tablespoon rapeseed or olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic (crushed or finely chopped)
- 4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 6 cardamom pods
- 1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 2 tins coconut milk
- 1 tin chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 3 teaspoon salt (or salt to taste)
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- Fresh Coriander to garnish
- Oat or soya cream to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 200 C.
- Place carrots on a baking tray. Coat with 1 tablespoon of the oil, then roast for around 45 minutes until carrots are cooked through and browning a little.
- In a pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot, add the onions and fry until translucent. Then add the garlic and fry for a further minute.
- Add the cumin, coriander and cardamom pods, and fry for another minute or so.
- Add the cooked carrots, vegetable stock, ginger and coconut milk. Use any kind of food processor to blend the ingredients together. Blend until smooth.
- Once blended, add the chickpeas, salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes so all the flavours are infused.
- Serve with fresh coriander and maybe some oat or soya cream.
