African Chickpea Soup

By bweber

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• Pinch of ground turmeric
• 4 cups Sweet Potato Broth
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 bunch fresh mustard greens, chopped
• 2 (15-oz.) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Garnish: dried crushed red pepper
• Sweet Potato Broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 3 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and quartered
• 5 whole cloves
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups water

Preparation

Step 1

Sauté garlic in hot oil in a large saucepan over medium heat 1 minute; add 1 tsp. dried crushed red pepper and next 4 ingredients. Cook 1 to 2 more minutes or until fragrant. (Toasting the spices opens up their flavor.) Stir in Sweet Potato Broth, coconut milk, and greens. Bring to a gentle boil; add chickpeas. Reduce heat to low, and simmer about 1 1/2 hours or until greens are soft. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sweet Potato Broth

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot. Cook, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add sweet potato, cloves, desired amount of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and water. Increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 30 to 35 minutes or until sweet potato is tender. Discard cloves. Let mixture stand 15 minutes. Process, in batches, in a food processor or blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Use immediately, or cool completely, and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days.