You will instantly enjoy the balance of flavour in this soup. About an hour after his first bowl, Tim’s comment was “I’d fight for another bowl of that soup right now.” You may surprised at the long-lasting satisfaction in your stomach, too.

Servings: 2
Prep and cook time: 40-45 minutes

Roasted Chickpea Ingredients:

2 cups chickpeas
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1/8 tsp chipotle pepper
1 tsp dehydrated chopped onion
1/8 tsp smoked paprika

Onion Ingredients

2 medium red onions, medium-sized slices
1 tsp minced garlic
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Broth ingredients:

2 cups boiling water
1 mushroom bouillon cube
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp nutritional yeast

Other Ingredients

3-4 pieces of bread (preferable dense, stale bread or a French loaf)
1 tsp (additional) dehydrated chopped onion
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

1. If using dried chickpeas, soak a minimum of 12 hours, refreshing the water mid-way through. Whether dried or canned, rinse them very well to help reduce undesirable gas. Read more about cooking with dried beans.
2. Mix all chickpea ingredients in a bowl, and then transfer onto a parchment paper covered pan in an single layer. Broil low on the middle rack of the oven for 25 minutes, stirring X2 at approximately 10 and 20 minutes
3. Sauté onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until they are soft and starting to brown/caramelize. The amount of oil you use will depend on the quality of your pan.
4. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil (I use a kettle)
5. Grate ginger
6. Chop parsley
7. Combine all broth ingredients into a glass measuring cup (will need to be 3 cups or larger) and add the boiling water. Mix well with a fork or small whisk until the bouillon cube is fully dissolved
8. When chickpeas have about 6 minutes remaining, place bread in the oven to toast on an open rack beside the chickpeas. Flip the pieces half way through and leave in until well toasted on both sides.
9. When finished, remove toast and chickpeas from the oven
10. Switch oven setting to bake at 350°F
11. Layer the oven-safe bowls in this order:

Rip toast into bite-sized pieces and place in the bottom of the bowls
Sautéd onions
Sprinkle a 1/2 tsp of dehydrated chopped onion into each bowl
Roasted chickpeas
Sprinkle fresh parsley
Stir broth and promptly pour into the bowls

Eat immediately, and remember to put a hot pad under each bowl!

Note: all pottery bowls are oven safe. Correlle dishes are safe up to 350°F. If you have the fancy French onion soup bowls, unlike me, please invite us over for dinner so that we can enjoy the authenticity, too!

Nutritional Benefits:

Onions have impressive nutritional benefits. According to Onion Health Research organization in the USA:

• High in vitamin C, a good source of dietary fiber, and folic acid.
• They contain calcium, iron, and have a high protein quality (ratio of mg amino acid/gram protein).
• Onions are low in sodium and contain no fat.
• Onions contain quercetin, a flavonoid (one category of antioxidant compounds)

Antioxidants are compounds that help delay or slow the oxidative damage to cells and tissue of the body. Studies have indicated that quercetin helps to eliminate free radicals in the body, to inhibit low-density lipoprotein oxidation (an important reaction in the atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease), to protect and regenerate vitamin E (a powerful antioxidant), and to inactivate the harmful effects of chelate metal ions.

Chickpeas are high in potassium, which helps to regulate blood pressure. If you are on beta-blockers, chickpeas should be consumed in moderation. Consider eating half the amount called for in this recipe, or substitute with Great Northern Beans or Lima Beans, both of which have significantly lower amounts of potassium.

Chickpeas have shown the capability of lowering the clinical complications associated with various human diseases. They contain phytic acid, lectins, sterols, saponins, dietary fibers, resistant starch, oligosaccharides, unsaturated fatty acids, amylase inhibitors, and certain bioactive compounds such as carotenoids and isoflavones.

J. Agric. Food Chem. 2017, 65, 1, 6-22Publication Date:October 25, 2016https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.6b02629Copyright © 2016 American Chemical Society