Carrot and Miso Soup with Garlicky Sesame Chickpeas

This is one of the simplest and best soups I’ve made in a long time – it’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or reheated for lunch. I adapted Smitten Kitchen’s original and (surprise) added chickpeas! The chickpeas add some texture to the soup, which is sweet, savory, and a little spicy if you add the cayenne pepper like I did. Serve this alongside a simple roasted vegetable and a toasted piece of fresh bread and enjoy a quintessentially soup-season meal!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
• Dash to 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup miso paste
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. sesame seeds
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Toasted sesame oil
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. In a large soup pot, heat a few tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and cook for 5-7 minutes until the onions are translucent but not yet browning. Add the garlic, ginger, and carrots and cook for another few minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
2. Add the vegetable broth and up to 1/8 tsp. of cayenne pepper (less if you don’t like spice) and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking for 20 minutes or until the carrots are very tender.
3. While the carrots cook, make the chickpeas: Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. In a mixing bowl, toss the chickpeas in a tbsp. or so of olive oil with the garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and sesame seeds. Once the pan is hot, add the chickpeas and cook for about 5 minutes, tossing frequently, until they are fragrant and slightly crispy. Turn off the heat and drizzle 2 tsp. of toasted sesame oil over the pan. Set aside.
4. Combine the miso paste in a bowl with 1/2 cup of water and whisk until smooth.
5. When the carrots are done, turn the heat off and add the miso-water mixture, then puree the soup using an immersion blender (you can also do this in batches in a blender – be very careful when transferring the hot soup back and forth!) Add more water at this stage if you’d like a thinner soup.
6. Serve the soup topped with 1/2 cup of chickpeas, a handful of sliced scallions, and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.

Nutrition Facts