Stay warm this winter with curried vegetable and chickpea soup

For a hearty, vegan soup sure to please all palettes, try this recipe that is chock full of veggies and chickpeas. Give yourself at least an hour to prepare the soup, which involves a lot of cutting and dicing vegetables, but is definitely worth it. It also freezes well, so you can freeze individual portions for a quick and nourishing meal later on. I make it on the stovetop, but it can also be made in a 6-quart or larger crock pot. For smaller crock pots, halve the recipe.

Curried vegetable and chickpea soup

Serves 8 to 10

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 tablespoon salt, divided

3 medium yellow potatoes, cut into chunks 1 tablespoon curry powder

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger 3 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

2 cups vegetable broth, divided

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juices 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 (10-ounce) bag baby spinach 1 cup coconut milk

Mix curry, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and cayenne pepper together in a separate dish; set aside for now. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, season with 1 teaspoon of the salt, and sauté until translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add the potatoes and 1 teaspoon of the salt, and sauté until just translucent around the edges, about 3 minutes.

Stir in curry, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and cayenne (if using) and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 1/4 cup of the broth and cook for about 30 seconds, then scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and transfer into either large pot (for stovetop method) or crock pot.

Transfer this onionpotato mixture into a large pot on mediumhigh heat. Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups broth, chickpeas, bell peppers, cauliflower, tomatoes with their juices, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the bowl; add more broth as needed. Heat until boiling, cook on medium-low for about an hour, or until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally. Add the spinach and coconut milk about 10 minutes before soup is ready, cook until

Stovetop method:

spinach is wilted.

Slow-cooker method:

Transfer onion-potato mixture into a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. (Halve this recipe for a smaller slow cooker.) Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups broth, chickpeas, bell peppers, cauliflower, tomatoes with their juices, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the bowl; add more broth as needed. Cover and cook for on the HIGH setting for 4 hours. Stir in the spinach and coconut milk. Cover and let sit for a few more minutes to allow the spinach to wilt.

Taste and season with salt and other seasonings as needed.

Submitted by Edith Decody