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Chickpea Rice Soup

Spanish-Style Chickpea Rice Soup with Kale

This hearty soup is packed with Spanish-inspired flavours, including earthy cumin and the punch of smoked paprika. It is easy to make and the perfect dish to warm up a cold day.
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Servings 6
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 1-2 stalks celery very finely chopped
  • 1 carrot very finely chopped
  • 1 leek finely chopped
  • 1-2 anchovy fillets optional
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh oregano minced
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest from about 1 lemon
  • 1½ tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp chili flakes
  • 100 g (½ cup) rice (see note 1)
  • 2 (400g/14oz) cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 2 litres (8½ cups) vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce (see note 2)
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice from about 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp sherry vinegar
  • 100 g (4 cups) kale torn from stems & thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley minced

Instructions
 

  • Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a large pot and set over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the celery, carrot and leek along with the anchovy fillets (if using) and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have reduced considerably in size, are beginning to brown and caramelise and the anchovies have dissolved - about 15 minutes.
    Adding the celery, carrot, leek & anchovy
  • Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir to combine. Cook for a few minutes longer, just until very fragrant and the tomato paste takes on a darker colour.
    Adding the garlic & tomato paste
  • Add the thyme, oregano, lemon zest, cumin, smoked paprika, chili flakes and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine and cook until very fragrant, about 30 seconds longer.
    Adding the spices & herbs
  • Add the rice and stir to combine in the vegetable mixture. Cook for about 2 minutes before adding the chickpeas and stirring to combine.
    Stirring in the rice & chickpeas
  • Pour over the vegetable stock, add the fish sauce and a few generous pinches of salt. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked completely through and the chickpeas are very tender - about 20-25 minutes.
    Pouring in the stock
  • Once the rice is cooked, stir in the lemon juice and sherry vinegar. Taste to adjust for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, lemon juice or fish sauce as you see fit. Add the kale and stir until fully submerged in the soup. Cook for a few more minutes, just until the kale is tender and reduced in size. Stir in the parsley and serve.
    Stirring in the kale

Notes

  1. Use any kind of dried rice you'd like here. I used brown basmati when developing the recipe, but any variety that suits your own tastes will do.
  2. If you'd like to make this recipe vegetarian, then omit the anchovy and replace the fish sauce with an equal amount of soy sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 0.4mg | Sodium: 285mg | Potassium: 436mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2.442IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 4mg

Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

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