Classic Chickpea Noodle Soup

A Veggie Ma
Classic Chickpea Noodle Soup

I have never really been interested in noodle soup because I never knew anything other than Chicken Noodle Soup.  Even as a kid, when I ate meat, I wouldn't have chosen Chicken Noodle as my soup of choice.  I was always a tomato or minestrone kinda kid.  Maybe it was those gross little chunks of chicken that were inside or the film that would settle when it sat for a moment or two, regardless the allure of the classic American comfort soup was never there for me. 

I recently went into my favorite little market to pick up some soup for lunch and right there was Chickpea Noodle Soup.  I was so interested, but also skeptical because I could not imagine this tasting good.  After I took my first bite, I was disappointed to find my skepticism was correct, this soup was disgusting.  It literally tasted like water with a bunch of pasta and carrots, maybe a chickpea or two.  As I prepared to throw it in the trash, which I never do (I hate waste), I said to myself that I would recreate this, and I would include what was missing, FLAVOR!

So here we are friends, a Chickpea Noodle Soup with lots of flavor.  Wishing you comfort and pleasant childhood memories to go along

Half red onion, minced

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 inch cut of fresh ginger, minced

8 cloves of garlic, minced

8 stalks of celery, minced

6 organic whole carrots, cut into rounds

2 qt boxes organic low sodium veggie stock

1 tbsp fresh rosemary minced

1 tsp fresh thyme

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp black pepper

8 oz package mushrooms

1 head broccoli cut small even stems

2 tbsp liquid aminos

1 tbsp sherry

1 tsp salt

1 can chickpeas

1 box of Banza chickpea pasta

Begin in a large soup pot.  Add 1 tbsp oil, red onion, ginger, celery and garlic.  Saute on low heat until onion begins to soften.  Add in carrots, veggie stock, rosemary, thyme, turmeric and black pepper.  Cook on low for about two hours stirring occasionally.

For the mushrooms and broccoli, you can choose to skip this step and throw directly in pot with the carrots and rest of stock to cook.  Omit sherry, salt, and liquid aminos if you do this.  Otherwise, like I did saute the mushrooms and broccoli in the 1/2 tbsp of sunflower oil, adding sherry next, then liquid aminos, then salt.

Add mushroom/broccoli mixture to the stock pot and simmer for about another hour.  Add chickpeas.

About 15 minutes before removing from heat add box of pasta, I chose Banza because it is my favorite non pasta "pasta"

Enjoy!

A Veggie Ma Classic Chickpea Noodle Soup