North African Chickpea and Kale Soup
I firmly believe that simmering in soup is one of the healthiest ways to cook vegetables. Unlike boiling or even steaming, to a certain extent, all of the nutrients remain in the broth to be eaten along with the vegetables. And did you know that cooking actually increases the nutrients available in some vegetables, including carrots? Lightly cooking carrots breaks down the cell walls, increasing the amount of absorbable beta carotene.

This particular soup is a nutritional powerhouse. The carrots provide beta carotene, the chickpeas offer protein, and the kale...well the kale is a powerhouse all on its own. It's rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, potassium, copper, manganese, and calcium. Plus, it's one of the cruciferous vegetables proven to reduce the risk of a number of cancers as well as heart disease. Eat more kale!
But don't try this recipe because it's good for you; try it because it's delicious: exotically seasoned with cumin, saffron, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice, yet not overwhelming or hot-pepper spicy. And I hesitate to say this because I know my daughter's tastes aren't always in line with other 10-year-olds', but she couldn't get enough of it, even though her first look made her go, "Yuck." But after the first bite, she was set on draining the entire bowl. We all were. Count this one among my family's favorite recipes.

North African Chickpea and Kale Soup
(printer-friendly version)
Okay, I made up the North African part. This seasoning combination is of my own devising, but it conjures up images of Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt in my imagination. If you can get saffron, please use it. It offers a unique flavor that there's just no substitute for.
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced or diced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8-1/4 teaspoon chilli powder or cayenne
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
generous pinch saffron, lightly crushed
2 bay leaves
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
3 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 cans, drained and rinsed)
8 cups vegetable broth (or water plus bouillon)
1 large bunch kale, thick center ribs removed and chopped (at least 8 cups)
about 2 cups water
salt to taste
Spray a large saucepan with olive oil spray and heat it. Add the onion and carrot and cook over medium-high heat until the onion begins to brown (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the spices, including bay leaves and cinnamon stick, and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the chickpeas and stir to coat them with the spices. Pour in the 8 cups of vegetable stock, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the chopped kale and stir. If necessary add water to cover the kale and cook until it is tender, about 10-25 minutes, depending on how cooked you like your kale. Check frequently to see if it is becoming dry and add water as needed. Add salt to taste and serve.
Makes about 6-8 servings. One-sixth of the recipe provides 199 Calories (kcal); 3g Total Fat; (11% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 54mg Sodium; 6g Fiber; 175mg Calcium.
Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free
Labels: CORE, eat to live, gluten-free









49 Comments:
Looks like a great recipe; I am always trying to find ways to sneak some leafy greens into things where they aren't so, leafy greeny.
And thanks for the balanced view on the "raw" versus "cooked" vegetables, considering today's Raw Food Frenzy!
Let me just get this out of the way and say that I'm a big baby when it comes to eating those leafy greens. I've never had kale before and have been afraid to try it.
Last New Year's I had a really bad run in with some cooked spinach and now I can barely even type the words "cooked spinach" together without my stomach turning (actually, if I think about it too long, it does turn). But I need to try to find a way to get some kale into my belly and it'd be a great plus if I actually liked it too.
Having said all that (TMI, I'm sure), let me ask - what's the kale end up like in leftover soup? Is it slimy/yucky the next day? Or just as fine as the first night?
Enquiring minds need to know...
kale is my absolute FAVORITE leafy green; and I'm quite keen on chickpeas as well - this soup sounds delicious!! and thank you for stating that COOKING vegetables is healthy - it's not always ideal to eat completely raw!!
it made me laugh when I read that you made up the North African part :0D
Looks delicious! I don't eat enough kale... this seems to be a great recipe to work into my diet. Thanks!
Hi Susan,
I think it is interesting that you posted this recipe today. The reason is because my CSA had a similar recipe in their newsletter that I picked up today. They also called it "Spicy N. African Vegetable Soup With Chickpeas" but with different spices (basil, tumeric, and oil). It is like de ja vu....
I guess now I have to make it. Actually I was planning on it anyway. However I might use your spices instead.
Cheers,
Rochelle
I feel the same way about soup! And I particularly love kale in soup; it's so chewy, giving soup a texture and bite!
chick peas in soup = heaven
this recipe sounds GREAT
Mama Papaya, the great thing about kale is that it is never slimy or yucky. It's really different from spinach because it retains it's shape and texture after cooking. And it tastes just as good the next day. So give it a try!
ooh, fantastic! I've been trying to find as many ways as I could lately to sneak greens into things. I can't wait to try this.
I made it tonight! It was yummy! And the kale was good!
Yay! Team Kale!
I made this last night and it's delicious!! I brought some to work for lunch today. What a great way to use Kale - and I love soup recipes, especially when it starts to get cool outside. Thanks!
this looks incredible! I have to try this soon.
we just got the most beautiful head of kale at the farmer's market saturday and this is the perfect recipe for it. thank you for posting such amazing recipes!
I'm actually happy to finally read that cooking vegetables can still be healthy! I always simmer my soup, but despite the lovely taste, I always worried about killing all the nutrients. Now I can feel better about it. Thanks for the info!
This soup looks great!
Looks easy enough, and with kale and saffron!
I decided to make it this cool evening and yes, it is very delightful!
Thanks again, Susan, for another winner:)
Kale is one of my favorite greens too. I made a non-vegan version of kale soup but it could easily be adapted to omit the sausages. As for chickpeas in the soup, I think that's a terrific addition!
Wow. Looks beautiful!
This soup looks absolutely delicious! I'm glad I visited your site. Thank you.
Can I use collards instead of kale? My guy doesn't like kale, though I can't taste a difference.
You're too funny making up the North African part, but hey it's your recipe so you can name it anything you want right. The picture looks so good I wish I had a bowl in front of me right now, and having a cold it sounds even better. Thanks for the recipe.
I've been enjoying a number of your recipes since I started ETL in January, so first an overdue thank you! I appreciate that you share your great recipes.
I tried this one tonight and it is quite yummy. What really inspired me to write is that I have a small warning to share.
Don't use red kale. I bought it with green kale to use in this soup thinking the purple leaves would look so pretty with the green. No such luck!
It turns the soup from a gorgeous golden color to a purplish mud color. It still tastes good, but doesn't look as appetizing as it did before I added the Kale.. I'm bummed I didn't think about this since I even made my own homemade veggie stock on Sun just for this soup. Ah well, I won't be talking hubby into trying it or serving this one to any guests. I'll still enjoy it and already noted the recipe for next tiime!
This one smelled so good simmering on the stove last evening and it tasted delicious! Susan V you make my vegan heart sing!
Hi Susan,
I plan to make this yummy-sounding soup tomorrow, but divide it in half since I am going out of town. My question is, what do you do with leftover kale? Can it be frozen (if so, washed or unwashed, chopped or not) and put in a freezer ziploc to be added to future soups? I figured you might now, since you taught me how to freeze herbs.
Thanks,
Michelle
Delicious!!! We do monthly foreign film potlucks. Whoever hosts gets to choose the film/country. We loosened up the rules a bit this month...any recipe from Africa. So we found this recipe and it was the hit of the potluck! We will definitely make it again! It was quick and easy and tasted great! Thanks so much!
This really hit the spot on a cold slushy day. I added some whole cumin seeds and frozen peas. The store was fresh out of cinnamon sticks, so I used a quarter teaspoon ground cinnamon and it seemed to work fine. The vegetable stock I used ("Better than Bullion") turned the soup a murky brown, so it wasn't half as pretty as the photo but still delicious. Roasted mushrooms were a good side dish. Next time I might be adventurous and add some broccoli to this soup. Thanks!!
This soup is AMAZING! I made it tonight and I think I could have eaten the whole pot myself (except it was filling). I'm looking forward to making more of your wonderful recipes. Thank You!
Amy in MA
yum. last night i put a pot of chickpeas on to soak and hadn't decided what to do with them. when i saw this recipe, i knew. it was SOOO good. Mmmmm. I can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
I am making this right now! The only thing I did was substitute sweet potato for the carrot.
I read your blog all the time, but this is the first time I've actually "made" one of your recipes. (I come here all the time to get ideas, but then usually end up modifying the recipe because I try to avoid gluten)
It smells so good cooking on my stove!!
I personally found the cinnamon to be wayyy too over-powering and wound up having to drain and remake the broth. Just a warning for some folks..
We made this tonight and were blown away by the great flavor. This one is definitely going on our regular dinner rotation - thanks for a fantastic recipe!
This was absolutely delicious. I love your site tremendously. Thank-you for all the hard-work you put in to it.
I just made this and it's delicious!
Lately I haven't been cooking and have been eating quite poorly. Have had a craving for kale which led me here. Such an easy, tasty and satisfying meal! Came out great! Looking forward to trying out more! Thank you!
Really really good with mustard greens too!
We made this soup two days ago, and boy is it delicious! We ate the whole pot in 4 servings! I followed the recipe exactly as stated and it turned out just wonderful. It was such a nice change on the tastebuds, & my hubby appreciated a soup other than my normal "taco soup." We used a generous pinch of spanish saffron (not sure if it's different) and hubby said he could really pick out the flavor. Nice job on this recipe....it is soooo healthy and yummy too!
This soup is amazing! Finally, a kale soup recipe that does not send me into spasms of guilt for breaking the "almost vegetarian" code and running to the organic butcher for chorizo. This is the first veg recipe that I have found that really satisfies my carnivorous husband. Two happy tummies here! Thanks and happy cooking!
Marisa
this is cooking as i type this..it smells delicious! i couldn't find saffron, so i hope it turns out okay. it looks very yummy! i hope it tastes delicious.
This came out fantastic! Im the only one in the house who eats veggies so this recipe was a few at home/at work meals for me. I threw in an extra carrot (next time Im going to ass yet another) because I needed more 'filler' ya know for my tummy! So this soup stayed in my fridge for 5 days and the Kale was still crunchy til the very end. Also, the spices mellow after the first day and make the soup taste even better!
DEEEE-LISH!!!
ummmm...this soup was really really yummy! I had to fork fight my eight year old for the last bowl. what?! letting her win teaches her nothing of the harshness of the real world. OK. I shared. highly recommended!!!
Susan,
This is the first time I've cooked with Kale. The soup was...well, "souper"!!! It made six decent sized servings and at only 200 calories per serving, this is sure to be a staple in my kitchen. I'm actually really surprised I like the kale so much. Raw, its just so tough and bitter. But cooked, it really relaxes (I know - all greens do that) and the flavor was actually better than that of spinach, IMO. Thanks for all you do.
I cut the amount of broth in half, turning the recipe into a stew. This made the dish heartier and the spices/flavorings more intense . . . but not too intense. Just delicious.
Wow, is this good!! What a wonderful combination of tastes and textures--Thank you so much!
I made this a few times already..it's amazing!
WOW - this is one of the best soups I've ever had. Thank you for this amazing recipe. I made it exactly as written, and I'm really glad I did. (I had been tempted to sub mustard greens since I have a ton of them, but I went and bought kale, which is sooo good in soup.) This will become a regular meal at our house. My meat-eating hubby loved it too, and we accompanied it with a crusty loaf of wheat bread with some fava bean spread.
Also, as I was eating it, I could almost feel it nourishing my body. I had been out of town for a week on business, surviving on junk food, and I was really craving vegetables/healthy food. This soup sure hit the spot on that front.
Thanks again!!!!!
I absolutely loved this recipe! I love soups since they are easy and an all-in-one meal! This soup was warm and inviting each time. It was the first time I had eaten kale and it is a new favorite! This recipe will be a staple in my house!
I just discovered your web site after seeing Alicia Silverstone on Oprah and wondering what Vegan was all about. I googled and your website popped up. After a couple of hours browsing your recipes I dicided to try this soup. I had to ask the produce guy what kale was and where to find it. Also, what the heck safron was. I made this soup and it is absolutely wonderful. A big hit at this house. Thank you for doing what you do. I will be trying another one soon. :)
This is absolutely DIVINE! My vegan husband and I were a little gunshy on this...but I am so glad I made it anyway. It really is an amazing blend of spices so that no one ingredient steals the show! Soooo good. Thank you! You are a cooking genius! (FYI: I made this thanks to your FB post.) I have since shared it with my Facebook pals.
Wow. This was my first time ever using kale and I can't believe what I have been missing.
This recipe was so delicious. I was out of carrots, so I subbed in a diced sweet potato, which went fine.
I also served this with two wedges of lemon and sprinkled some juice on while I ate. With the seasoning combo it went beautifully.
Thanks!
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