Enjoy this warming and delicious soup on a cool day with Arabian Baharat or Moroccan Ras el Hanout.
Ingredients
2 TBL olive oil
3 medium onions finely chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
1-2 TBL Arabian Baharat or Ras el Hanout
2 TBL tomato paste
150g dried apricots chopped
Zest of ½ a lemon
Juice of 1 small lemon
1-19 oz can chickpeas (reserve some chickpeas and peel for garnish)
6 cups vegetable stock
1 large bunch spinach (200g), stemmed and shredded
Salt to taste
Scallions or parsley
Yoghurt
Chile flakes
Whole peeled chickpeas
Instructions
Heat oil and cook onions gently at low heat in a covered soup pot until translucent but not browned.
Add garlic, Arabian Baharat (or Ras el Hanout) and continue cooking stirring constantly for a minute.
Stir in tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes more.
Add apricots, lemon zest & juice, chickpeas and stock. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until chickpeas are tender.
Cool soup slightly, pour into blender (or blend with a hand blender in the same pot) and blend until smooth.
Return soup to saucepan, reheat to low simmer, add spinach and stir in until it wilts (about 5 minutes).
Serve. Garnish each bowl with a dollop of yogurt and coarsely chopped herbs, whole chickpeas and chile flakes if you like heat.
Spices Used: Arabian BaharatRas el Hanout