When I first became vegan sixteen months ago I made this soup just about every week. It's very easy to make and is very satisfying. I think I don't make it as much as I used to because my palate has changed. Eating the 'SAD' (Standard American Diet) you tend to consume very rich, fatty, animal-based foods and preparing a dish with lush coconut milk is a good way to make the transition to vegan food, which tends to be leaner.
I ripped this recipe off from epicurious.com. Before I became vegan their website was my go to source for recipes. But they really don't have a lot of good, satisfying vegan recipes on their website. They're getting better, but they're not quite there yet. Most of their vegetable dishes are meant to accompany meat main courses and some of their vegan recipes call for way too much tofu, in my opinion.
Following is the link to their website: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/African-Curried-Coconut-Soup-with-Chickpeas-352349. It's from the book
The Tropical Vegan Kitchen, by Donna Klein, which I'm considering buying since this recipe was so tasty!
I modified this recipe slightly based on what I had on hand. I used spicy curry powder instead of mild curry powder, substituted chiles de arbol for the jalapeno, used full fat coconut milk in place of light coconut milk, and used
Ruby Red Jasmine Heirloom Whole Grain Rice instead of white or brown rice. They also recommend making this with black eyed peas instead of chick peas which I have tried on numerous occasions and is also very good. I prepared this last night and my husband had three large servings!
African Curried Coconut Soup with Chick Peas
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 medium onion (about 6 ounces), chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper (about 6 ounces), chopped
- 1 jalapeño chili, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes, seeded and peeled, fresh or canned
- 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
- 3/4 cup cooked white or brown rice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Preparation:
In a medium stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell
pepper, and chili; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add
the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add the broth,
chickpeas, tomatoes, curry powder, salt, and black pepper; bring to a
boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered,
stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients
and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Serve warm.
