Simple Chickpea, Veggie & Artichoke Heart Soup for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

This a very simple but delicious soup for those days when you can't be bothered to go to the store and want something warm, nourishing and filling without a lot of effort. It's put together from the pantry, spice rack and the vegetable drawer of my refrigerator and it's vegan--although you could certainly add some Parmesan if you were so inclined.

Simple Chickpea & Artichoke Heart Soup
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Serves 4-6) 

1 Tbsp olive oil  
2 large shallots, finely chopped
1 medium carrot chopped small
1 stalk celery, chopped small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp celery salt 
6 cups good vegan soup stock
3 heaping cups cooked chickpeas
1 (15 oz) can artichoke hearts, quartered
1/4 chopped fresh herbs (I used tarragon and parsley) + more for garnish, optional
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add shallots, carrots and celery and sauté about 7-8 minutes until shallots are translucent and veggies begin to soften. Add garlic and spices and cook another 3-4 minutes until garlic is slightly colored and spices are fragrant.

Add stock and chickpeas, raise heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and cook for another 10 minutes until vegetable are tender.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the 1/4 of herbs, if using. Serve hot, topped with additional chopped fresh herbs if desired.

Notes/Results: This was a great-tasting brothy bean soup, perfect for the spats of rain we have been having this weekend. It is satisfying but not heavy, which is the kind of soup I want right now and the dried spices and fresh herbs give it nice layers of flavor. The artichoke hearts give it a bright kick with their tangy flavor but if you don't want to use them, adding a little lemon juice would also work. Delicious and a good way to use up pantry and fridge bits, I would happily make it again.

We have some good friends in the Souper Sundays kitchen who shared some marvelous dishes last week--let's have a look! 

Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe made this beautiful Cauliflower, Parsnip and Camembert Soup and said, "The soup was really lovely. It is an elegant pureed soup that I would serve in small bowls as an appetiser or have with bread as a meal, as we did.  The quantities can easily be altered to what you have on hand. Just make sure to use a light coloured stock if you want a pale colour."

Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog shares Roasted Carrot Soup with Ginger, Turmeric, and Cardamom. She says, "I love ethnic spices, especially in soups. This roasted carrot soup is rich in warming spices of ginger, turmeric, and cardamom with a touch of cooling coconut milk. This easy soup is low in calories, low in fat, vegan, and and naturally gluten free (like all my recipes)."

Tina of Squirrel Head Manor made hearty Chicken Gnocchi Soup and said, "How much do I love my slow cooker? Quite a bit but I haven't been making great use of it until recently. It does all the work while I am absent from the kitchen. This was made last week prior to Hurricane Hermine's visit. This is a rich soup and one that we enjoyed prior to dinner. Next time I make it I will be changing out the broth (vegetable instead of chicken) and leaving the chicken out completely. More veggies instead."

Thanks to everyone who joined in this week!

Souper Sundays is back with a new format of a picture link each week where anyone interested can post their soups, salads, or sandwiches any time during the week and I post a recap of the entries the following week.)

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here. 

If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you.

On your entry post (on your blog):

• please mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and link back to this post.
• you are welcome to add the wonderful Souper Sundays logo (created by Ivy at Kopiaste) to your post and/or blog (optional).

An InLinkz Link-up

 
It's a sad and difficult day with the 15th Anniversary of the horrors of 9/11, so please take time remember those who lost their lives and their families in your thoughts and prayers and be good to one another. 

Peace and Aloha,