My last soup recipe was such a hit, I thought I would share my latest soup obsession. This soup is vegetarian, a tad spicy and perfect for a cool winters eve. I have been making it way too often, alongside the most delicious popovers. Two of my dear friends bought me a popover pan back in June and I have been baking them almost weekly. Once you see how easy they are to make, you wont stop making them either. There is NOTHING like fresh bread! You don't need a popover pan to make these, you can use a muffin tin, but they wont come out quite as puffed up.
Recipe by Dave Lieberman {from the Food Network}
SERVES 6
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, medium diced
6 to 8 cloves garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 heaping teaspoon sweet paprika
1 (14.5-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
3 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1 quart vegetable broth
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (5-ounce) package pre-washed baby spinach
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until the onions begin to turn translucent; lower heat if browning starts to occur. Add spices and saute a minute or so. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, broth, and sugar. Season with a couple pinches of salt and 10 grinds fresh pepper. Stir well. Chickpeas should be just covered with liquid. If level is shy, add some water so the chickpeas are just covered.
Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to low and gently simmer for 45 minutes.
Remove soup from heat. Use a potato masher to mash up some of the chickpeas right in the pot. Stir in the spinach and let heat through until wilted, just a couple minutes.
Season again, to taste, with salt and pepper.
POPOVERS
RECIPE BY ANNA THOMAS {from her book Love Soup}
SERVES 6
3 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
2 tbs unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh or dried thyme
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
Preheat the oven to 425
Beat the eggs with the milk, 2 tbs of melted butter, salt, thyme. Beat in the flours until the batter is perfectly smooth.
Brush 12 nonstick three-inch muffin cups lightly with butter. Distribute the batter evenly between them, filling the cups about halfway.
Bake the popovers for 15 minutes, then reduce the temp to 350 and back another 20 minutes. The popovers will balloon up high over the rim of the muffin cups and turn a deep golden brown.
{I have been playing with the popovers lately, making them different each time. Sometimes I leave out the thyme and add lots of fresh ground black pepper. Sometimes I add grated parmesan to the batter. Feel free to experiment!}