Smoky tomato, chickpea and spinach soup
15 min · 13 g protein · 273 cals / serving
A Spanish-style soup from the cupboard: chickpeas simmered in a tomato broth with garlic, smoked paprika and cumin, a third of it blitzed so it turns thick and velvety, then handfuls of spinach wilted in and a splash of vinegar to brighten it. Inspired by Seville's garbanzos con espinacas.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 tsp paprika, smoked (pimentón)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 can (14.5 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cups water, boiling, from the kettle
- 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 bag (7 oz) baby spinach
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar, or sherry vinegar
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Steps
- Put the kettle on. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion with a pinch of the salt and cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until it softens. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, without letting it brown.
- Stir in the smoked paprika and cumin for 20 seconds (they burn quickly), then add the crushed tomatoes, broth, boiling water and chickpeas. Cover, bring back to a boil, about 2 minutes, and simmer for 2–3 minutes.
- Blend about a third of the soup right in the pot with a few pulses of a stick blender, or mash some of the chickpeas against the side, until the soup is thick but still chunky.
- Stir in the spinach a handful at a time until wilted, about 1 minute, then add the vinegar, the rest of the salt and the pepper. Taste and adjust. It keeps 4 days in the fridge and freezes for 3 months.
Good to know
What goes well with it?
Crusty bread for dunking, or a drizzle of good olive oil and an extra pinch of smoked paprika on top. Gluten-free bread keeps the whole meal gluten-free.
Can I use frozen spinach?
Yes: add the same amount, about 7 oz, of frozen chopped spinach with the broth in step 2 so it thaws as the soup comes back to the boil.
Per
- Calories
- 57
- Protein
- (19%)
- 3 g
- Fat
- (29%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (51%)
- 8 g
- of which sugar
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 197 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 1092 kcal goes into the pot and 1997 g of ingredients comes out as about 1920 g of food: 57 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.