Recipe: Slow Cooker Golden Chickpea Soup

Photos by Joe Lingeman

As we move through the cold days of the new year, this is the soup you’ll want to keep on repeat in your meal plan. It is wholesome comfort food at its finest, with a taste and texture that’s equal parts hearty, bright, and completely nourishing. Slow cooking mellows the pungent, bitter bite of turmeric, and a dollop of yogurt partnered with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice lend a tangy twist to this vegetarian chickpea-based soup.

Bloom the Spices Before Slow Cooking

I’m always a fan of the dump-and-go slow cooker recipes, but certain recipes really benefit from a few minutes of upfront work, and this is one of them. Before going to the slow cooker, you’ll start by sautéing the onion, garlic, and spices until fragrant. The turmeric and coriander bloom as they warm in the hot oil, and begin to release the full spectrum of their flavor, which leaves you with an even more delicious bowl of soup.

Slow Cooker Golden Chickpea Soup

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  
• 1 large onion, diced
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
  
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1 pound dried chickpeas
  
• 8 ounces Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
  
• 8 cups (2 quarts) low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
  
• Greek yogurt
  
• 1 medium lemon, cut into wedges
  
• Chopped fresh cilantro
  

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, turmeric, coriander, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Transfer to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.

2. Add the chickpeas, potatoes, and broth, and stir to combine. Cover and cook on the LOW setting until the beans are tender, 8 to 10 hours.

3. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth in the slow cooker, or purée the soup in a blender, working in batches if necessary.

4. Ladle into bowls, then garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt, a squeeze of lemon juice, and cilantro.

Kelli Foster is the Food Editor for Plan & Prep content for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, The Probiotic Kitchen, Buddha Bowls, and Everyday Freekeh Meals.