Recently, I got back into making chickpeas from their dried form. I like to do this because I find that when I soak (and rinse) garbanzos for a day or two, they are much more digestible than canned, and feel a lot better in my body. I know a lot of people struggle to digest chickpeas comfortably, often feeling bloated after eating them… and I really believe that soaking them for a day or more (changing out the water 2x/day) is the way to transform that that experience. And — especially if you have an Instant Pot — it’s pretty easy. Not to mention, they also take on a super creamy texture that I love.
So, as you can imagine, I got excited about chickpeas — and cooked a bunch of them. Then realized, the ONLY thing I ever really think to make with them is hummus... and, after exhausting that recipe, I felt like it was time to try something else with other ingredients in my home. With the transition to spring, I’ve been craving warm, light soups with a nice spice to them and decided that’s what I would make! Because I’ve also been thinking a lot about ways to strengthen immunity through food, in additional to my usual fresh ginger, turmeric, kale and onion, I’ve also started buying leeks, fennel, and garlic.
This soup is designed to gently cleanse away the excess kapha that comes along with spring (like colds, allergies, brain fog and slow digestion), while also boost immunity. It is nutrient-dense and easy on the digestive system. I hope you enjoy!
Ingredients
1 leek – sliced into ¼ inch circles
1 onion – sliced
1 fennel bulb – chopped into small pieces, or sliced thin
2-4 cloves garlic — chopped fine
2-inch fresh ginger — sliced thin or grated
1-inch fresh turmeric — sliced thin or grated
2 tbsp ghee (our fave) or coconut oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1 bunch curly kale — chopped or torn into small-ish pieces
1-quart vegetable broth
2-4 cups water
1-2 tbsp miso paste
1.5 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, drained)
Optional garnish: Lime juice, cilantro and/or parsley
Method
Add ghee to pot and place over medium/low heat.
When ghee has melted, add onion. Stir occasionally for 5-10 minutes.
Add leeks and salt. Stir occasionally for 5-10 minutes, until leeks and onion start to look translucent.
Add fennel, garlic, ginger and turmeric. Stir occasional for 5-10 minutes.
Add spices and stir until other ingredients are coated.
In a large bowl, massage kale for about 1 minute with your hands to soften it.
Stir kale into pot.
Add vegetable broth and water. Bring to a boil.
Turn heat to medium/low and add chickpeas.
Dissolve miso in a about ¼ cup hot water, then add to pot.
Turn heat to low and cover with lid for 10 minutes or more.
To serve, with garnish of cilantro or parsley and a squeeze of lime.
Notes
Decide how much water you want to add to your soup based on your preferred consistency. You can always add more veggie broth instead of water.
Avoid bringing to a boil once the miso has been added.
When you add the kale, you can also add other vegetables (like carrots or radishes) at this time.
When you’re ready to go deeper…
Join us for our seasonal cleanse, The Reset for Resilience.
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