Spiced Chickpea and Tomato Soup with Chili Oil and Leftover Bread Croutons
The soup that I crave at this time of year
At Mèlisses, we spend our days cooking for others but rarely for ourselves. Often meals are a compilation of leftovers from suppers hosted earlier in the week: a single plate of roasted squash risotto, a bowl of herby tabbouleh, moussaka in a small aluminum container brought back from a taverna, and, always, a green salad for good measure. We don’t really mind and our patchwork meals have become a sort of running joke. However, when time allows, I love to prepare a proper dinner. Its a gesture of care and compassion. This soup was just that.
The chilly Autumn weather made its way to Greece just in time for our last week on Andros before closing for the winter. As the cold settles in, hearty meals layered with texture and flavour are what I crave. This spiced chickpea and tomato soup hits the spot with aromatic, freshly ground spices, saucy tomatoes just starting to break down, hearty chickpeas, punchy chili, and chewy-crunchy croutons. Make it for someone you love, or for yourself, just because.
Spiced Chickpea and Tomato Soup
Ingredients
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
Olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
Salt
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Small bunch of dill, stems finely sliced and leaves reserved for garnish
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 heaping tbsp tomato paste
4 large vine tomatoes, roughly chopped (or one 28 oz can of diced tomatoes)
750mL of vegetable broth (or water)
2 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained (one 19 oz can)
Juice from 1 lemon
Aromatic chili oil (recipe below)
Leftover Bread Croutons (recipe below)
Thick yogurt (like Greek yogurt or labneh), to serve - optional but recommended
In a dry frying pan over medium heat, toast the coriander, fennel, and cumin seeds until beginning to brown and fragrant (~30 seconds). Transfer them to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and grind until they become a coarse powder.
Heat 1/2 cup of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and season well with salt. Cook until translucent, 6-7 minutes, then stir in the minced garlic and dill stems and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes or so until they begin to brown. Add the ground spices and turmeric and stir to combine. Let them cook for a minute to bloom, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes, season again with salt, and stir to combine. Stir in the vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down slightly, helping them along by pressing them against the sides of the pot with a spoon. Then, add the chickpeas and cook for another 10 minutes until the soup has thickened. Stir in the lemon juice, taste, and adjust seasoning with more salt or lemon juice if necessary.
Serve with a drizzle of aromatic chili oil, a handful of croutons (recipes below), a dollop of yogurt, and the reserved dill.
Aromatic Chili Oil
Ingredients
3-4 dried chilis (or 1 tbsp chili flakes)
2 cinnamon sticks
4 pieces of star anise
1 tsp cardamom pods (carefully smashed open with the side of a knife)
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp whole cloves
1 1/2 cups neutral tasting oil (like grapeseed)
Add all ingredients except for the oil to a sealable glass jar or container large enough to fit all of the spices and oil.
Pour the oil into a small saucepan set over medium heat to warm up. Once it feels warm to the touch, pour it into the jar with the spices and leave them to infuse for at least one hour before using.
Leftover Bread Croutons
Ingredients
2 cups leftover bread (ideally a nice chewy sourdough but any bread will do), roughly torn into bite sized pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Preheat your oven to 375°F (180°C). In a bowl, toss the torn bread with the olive oil and salt until evenly coated, then transfer to a baking tray large enough for the croutons to be in a single layer. Bake for 5-7 minutes until browned in spots but not too dry. Set aside to cool and store in a sealed container for 2-3 days.
