Butternut, chickpea and kale soup

By hmp13

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 large or 3 small cloves garlic, minced
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• pinch of cayenne
• pinch of dried thyme (optional)
• 5 cups vegetable broth with no tomatoes (such as Whole Foods 365 Organic)
• 4 cups diced butternut squash
• 1 14-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 cup reserved chickpea liquid (or substitute 1 cup vegetable broth)
• 1/4 cup tahini
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 handfuls curly kale, torn into bite-size pieces
• sprinkle of salt

Preparation

Step 1

In a soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute about 5-6 minutes. Add celery and saute another 3-4 minutes.
Add bay leaf and all spices and stir to coat. Add the vegetable broth, butternut squash, and chickpeas and bring to a simmer. Simmer 20-25 minutes, until squash is tender.
In a heat-proof measuring cup, microwave the chickpea liquid (or additional vegetable broth) until hot, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tahini until thoroughly combined. Add to the soup along with the lemon juice and kale.
Remove from heat. Salt to taste. Allow to cool slightly before serving.