Tomato Soup with Cheesy Roasted Chickpeas

I have a problem.

I can’t eat soup without crackers. I just need some kind of crunch in my soup. And if it’s pureed soup? You better bet I need some extra crackers. Eating just plain pureed soup is about the equivalent of eating baby food or drinking hot juice. Maybe I’ve talked about this before, but it needs to be said again. Soup and crunchy crackers go together like peanut butter and jelly.

bird's eye view of tomato soup with chickpeas

But some days, you just need to switch it up. And a few weeks ago with I saw a recipe for cheeto roasted chickpeas. I knew we had a winner. Crunchy roasted chickpeas in creamy tomato soup. No crackers today.

tomato soup with crispy chickpeas in a flower soup bowl

Just make sure to roast the chickpeas until they are super crispy because you don’t want them to get soggy in the soup. Almost as bad as soggy soup crackers – and the chickpeas are great because they hold their crispy texture longer than crackers. Plus, if you have extra chickpeas left over, you can munch on them throughout the day.

close view of tomato soup with chickpeas

Most tomato soups are loaded with either butter or heavy cream (or both). This soup is creamy but in place of heavy cream we’re using….bread. Yep. The bread will soak up the soup and after you puree it, somehow it acts like a thickening agent. Not sure how, but it just works!

close bird eye view of tomato soup with chickpeas

To get a complex flavor base, we’re caramelizing the onions until they’re nice and golden brown. Then adding a tablespoon of brown sugar for some sweetness. And deglazing the pan with red wine vinegar. Thennn we’re finally adding the tomatoes, spices, bread, and puree until smooth!

If you made this Tomato Soup with Cheesy Roasted Chickpeas, be sure to comment! I love hearing your thoughts and suggestions.

PS – I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine’s Day and gets to eat lots of chocolate 🙂

vertical view of tomato soup with chickpeas

Tomato Soup with Cheesy Roasted Chickpeas

From north coast eats at https://northcoasteats.com/tomato-soup-with-cheesy-roasted-chickpeas/

https://northcoasteats.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/tomato.soup_.chickpeas-0270.jpg

Creamy tomato soup with crunchy chickpeas

You'll Need...

CHICKPEAS:
2 cups chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast or grated parmasan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
SOUP:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
salt & pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
red pepper flakes, to taste
1 -2 tablespoons dried basil, to taste
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 - 28 ounce cans diced tomatoes
3 large pieces of bread
2 cups chicken broth
8 cherry tomatoes, sliced

Directions

Chickpeas: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place all chickpea ingredients and chickpeas on baking sheet and use your hands to mix everything. Roast in oven for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove with crispy.
Soup: Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add oil, onions, salt, pepper. Cook until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add sugar, garlic, red pepper flakes, basil, bay leaves. Cook about 1 more minute. Deglaze with 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar.
Add tomatoes and bread. Cook for 5 minutes, until bread is mushy. Remove the bay leaves.
Puree soup in a blender. I like to leave my soup slightly chunky.
Return soup to medium heat. Add broth. Add remaining 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar. If needed, season with more salt, pepper, or basil.
Serve soup with crunchy chickpeas and sliced tomatoes.