Chickpea soup with herbs

Middle east has been regularly plagued with dust storms recently. Even though it has not been very severe in Oman, its been very dusty here and the weather is gloomy since a week. There has also been a direct impact on our health and most of us are suffering from allergies and flus.

So in the last weekend, I decided to try out a healthy soup which would soothe our throats and also provide us with strong protein reserves. Chickpea soup was my choice. Something that would help our health in a million ways.

One of the best things about soups is the multitude of toppings you can choose from: cheese, more cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, roasted  garlic bread and herbs.  The danger is that piling on all those toppings can turn that healthy soup into a vehicle for less-healthy add-ons.  Here is a recipe for soup that is super healthy and light and will keep you on track.

INGREDIENTS:

3 tbsp olive oil
5 garlic cloves finely chopped
Fresh rosemary leaves
½ tsp chilli flakes
½ kg pre-cooked chickpeas
4 cups chicken or veg broth
Salt to taste
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
 

HOW TO MAKE: 

1)  Heat oil in a saucepan and sauté the garlic, chilli flakes and rosemary in it.

2) Cook chickpeas in it for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

3) Cool it and puree it in a blender.

4) Return it to the saucepan and stir in the lemon juice and salt to taste.

5) Garnish with fresh rosemary sprig or some olive oil.