While, you can use butter, vegan butter or any vegetable oil, I’ve used extra virgin olive oil. If you want to read more about how to choose the best cooking oils, check out the blog called High Oleic and other Important Considerations when Choosing a Vegetable Oil.
Cream of Chick Pea Soup
Equipment
- Stock pot or instant pot
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup raw cashews
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or vegan butter (separted)
- 2-3 stalks celery; roughly chopped
- 2 carrots; roughlychopped
- 1/2 yellow onion; diced
- 3 cloves garlic; minced
- 1 tbsp rice flour (or regular flour if not gluten free)
- 2 14 oz cans chick peas (garbanzo beans); rinsed and outer skins removed
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme; roughly chopped (or 1 tbsps dried)
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary; roughly chopped (or 1 tbsp dried)
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- to taste black pepper
- to taste salt
Instructions
- Soak the raw cashews in warm water, set aside for 30 minutes
- In a stock pot set over medium heat, or in an InstantPot set to sautĂ©, add 1 tbsp olive oil or 1 pad of vegan butter. Add in the celery, carrots, onion, and garlic and sautĂ© for 3-5 minutes, or until soft and fragrant. (Note: If contents begin to brown and stick to the bottom of the pot, use a splash of vegetable stock to deglaze.)Â
- Push the contents to the side of the pot, and add the remaining tbsp of olive oil or pad of vegan butter along with 1 Tbsp rice flour (or regular flour). Stir the flour into the olive oil as it melts to allow the flour to throughly absorb the fat. (Note: This will form a roux that will thicken the soup.)
- Add in the chickpeas, thyme, rosemary, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, and 3 cups of vegetable stock, mixing to combine.
- Cover the pot and allow the soup to come to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for approximately 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. If using an InstantPot, cover and set to pressure cook for 9 minutes.Â
- Check for soup doneness by the tenderness of the chickpeas. Taste and adjust seasoning, as desired.Â
- Drain and add the soaked cashews to a blender with about 1/4-1/2 cup of the soup broth and blend until smooth (or use immersion blender)
- Add cashew cream to the soup until desired creaminess is met.Â
- Taste and add salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
*Washing your chickpeas and removing the outer skins is highly recommended for tender chickpeas that are free of hard to digest oligosaccharide fiber. A trick to help remove the skins is to place the washed chickpeas on a flat surface and rub with a dry paper towel. This will loosen the outer skins and allow for easier removal.Why Chick Peas?
Chick peas are part of the legume and more specifically the pulse family. There are two main varieties of chick peas, the larger, round light-coloured ones that are popular in the United States and the smaller, darker ones that are popular in Indian, known as the Desi chick peas.
With either type, you are getting an excellent source of carbohydrate, protein, fibre, B vitamins, iron and phosphorus. While they are carbohydrate, they are low glycemic, which is the slow absorbing version of carbohydrate. This is good news if you have diabetes, as a slow rise in blood sugar gives your body time to process the carbohydrate.
Prebiotic Fiber and Gut Health
In addition, the specific type of soluble fibre is called raffinose, which is a type of oligosaccharide that is a prebiotic – a fiber that your probiotic bacteria can ferment and use for fuel. This helps you to maintain a good number and type of beneficial bacteria as part of your gut flora.
Soluble Fiber and Cholesterol
These soluble fibres have also been shown to help lower blood cholesterol levels. So, whether you are a seasoned plant-based eater or just starting to experiment with meatless meals, you can enjoy the health benefits of the delicious cream of chick pea soup.
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This recipe is in collaboration with Jessica Malone. Jessica Malone is a Certified Nutritionist living in San Diego, California. She holds a master’s degree in nutrition for wellness from Bastyr University, where she obtained instruction in therapeutic nutrition and nutrition education.
She is currently pursuing her Registered Dietitian’s license, but in the meantime, enjoys sharing her latest recipes and nutrition knowledge on her blog, liveandletlivenutrition.com, and with her followers on Instagram, @liveandletlive_nutrition.
To try more recipes from Jessica Malone, check out her blog LiveandLetLiveNutrition.com
