I searched and searched last week for a vegetarian garbanzo bean soup to peak my interest. I didn’t feel like Italian or anything with winter greens, which are long gone here in Miami. I finally located this Mexican recipe on MexConnect, which I adapted to suit my pantry and taste. I used dried pasilla chiles, which are sweet and have little to no heat, so I compensated with cayenne. If I had a spicier chile on hand I would have used it.
The recipe is unintentionally healthy and full of distinct chile flavor. I topped my bowl with diced avocado and fried corn tortillas—crumbled queso fresco also would make a nice addition.
Garbanzo Bean Soup with Chiles and Saffron
2 cups dried garbanzo beans*
1 carrot, cut into large hunks
1 large onion, cut in half
2 bay leaves
4 thyme sprigs
water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 large pinch ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 chiles pasilla, soaked to soften
3 Roma tomatoes, quartered
Salt and pepper
Instructions
In a large bowl, soak beans overnight, covered by 3 inches of water. Drain and rinse beans. Transfer beans to a stock pot, along with the carrot, 1/2 onion (reserving the other half), 2 bay leaves, thyme springs, and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil, and stir in 1 teaspoon salt. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until beans are tender—1 1/2 to 2 hours. (I cheated and used the slow cooker while I was at work. The beans were a tad too tender, but the convenience was worth the sacrifice.) Turn off heat, and set aside.
Heat olive oil over medium in a large stock pot. Dice the remaining half onion, and saute for 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook until fragrant. Add sweet potato, saffron, cumin, cloves, and cayenne, and cook 3 to 4 minutes more.
Meanwhile, blend chiles and tomatoes with 1/4 cup bean cooking liquid. Add to pot with onion mixture, simmering gently.
Next, puree half of the cooked garbanzo beans. Add puree, whole beans, and remaining cooking liquid to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 40 minutes to 1 hour. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serves 6
*You can substitute 6 cups canned garbanzo beans that have been drained and rinsed. If you do, I recommend using vegetable or chicken stock to help add flavor to the soup.