I recently tried a vegetarian version of an Italian kale soup which involved kale, chickpeas, and (vegetarian) sausage. It was fantastic and I loved it. But I started thinking that it would be easy to create a more middle-eastern version. So here you go, with ingredients that should be easy to find in even a small town grocery store. It is delightful and simple:
2 TBS olive oil
1/2 medium white onion, diced
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 can chickpeas (Garbanzo beans), drained
1/3 package of frozen greens (kale, collard greens, or mustard greens)
3 cups of vegetable broth or equivalent (reconstituted bouillon cubes, etc.)
2 TBS curry powder
OPTIONAL for thickening: 4 tsp corn starch + 4 tsp cold water (slurry)
Dash of lemon juice for serving
In a medium to large soup pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat, then add the onion. Saute 2 minutes and then add the garlic. Saute 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally, then add everything except the corn starch slurry and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, and add the cornstarch slurry while stirring constantly; allow to boil for about a minute. Turn off the heat and cover until ready to serve. Serve with a dash of lemon juice in each bowl.
The best way to serve this, IMO, is over a little bit of basmati rice as pictured. I made a pilaf of the rice so it would be nice and fluffy rather than sticky.
I can't stop eating it. Please help.
