Chickpea- Garbanzos Vegetable Soup

My son was driving home from Philly for the weekend, so I cooked a cauldron of Chickpea-Garbanzos Soup. He was running late. The weather outside was a rainy, chilly night in early fall. My son, Toby was driving for two hours, straight from work. I knew he would be tired, cold and hungry. As soon as he walked in the house, Toby asked “what smells so good?”

He saw the large, simmering stockpot filled with this Chickpea Veggie Soup. Toby dropped his bags by the hall and headed straight to the dinner table. I gladly ladled a big bowlful of the piping hot soup for him. The thick broth was thickened with steel cut oats. Hefty portions of chickpeas or garbanzos, potatoes, carrots, yellow squash, zucchini and napa cabbage filled the bowl.

My younger son has distinct preferences for all-vegetable entrees. Or else he relishes any fish and vegetable meal, whether cooked by himself or by me.

So this new cookbook was a godsend. My friend Kathy Hester just launched her third cookbook “OATrageous Oatmeals” and it is marvelous. Kathy from the blog HealthySlowCooking.com and known as @geekypoet to followers, developed her own unique recipes using oatmeal as a main ingredient for a variety of recipes ranging from snacks, appetizers, soups, entrees to desserts.

“In this book, I will show you that you can make a meal out of oats any time of the day or night. You’ll be amazed by oat recipes that go way beyond adding hot water to a brown packet of instant oats.” Kathy wrote in her introduction.

If you expected a limited number of recipes for merely breakfast or brunch, then you’re in for a surprise and a treat. The author offers  expansive information about the different types of oats. She even shares a recipe for making instant oats. Kathy shares “there’s more than one way to cook your oats.” And even better, gives readers the health benefits for oatmeal.

The extensive cookbook is divided into chapters : do it yourself homemade staples; warming oats for fall and winter; cooling breakfast oats for spring and summer; granolas and bars for breakfast and beyond; satisfying soups and stews; savory oats for lunch and dinner; delightful desserts; drinks and other uses for oats.

This is by far the most complete oatmeal cookbook I have seen. The author truly knows her oats. I never imagined I would use steel cut oats as an ingredient for soup. Once the chickpea soup was cooked, it was rich and thick. The slurry-like consistency swirled around as I placed the soup ladle into the stock pot. The onion-like aroma was a great backdrop to the hefty cubes of potatoes, crunchy garbanzos and other vegetables strewn into the pot.

My son came home to this superb soup meal. It was different from what he was used to, but it had a comfortable charm and was so easy to love.

Author Kathy Hester’s version of Chickpea Veggie Soup

Print Recipe

Chickpea- Garbanzos Vegetable Soup

This soup recipe for Chickpea-Garbanzos Vegetable Soup comes from one of the most complete oatmeal cookbooks I have come across. The recipe for Chickpea Veggie Soup was easy to put together with all the ingredients in my pantry. This was my first attempt at making soup with oatmeal as a main ingredient and it was a glorious, hearty concoction. This  was slightly adapted from the cookbook Outrageous Oatmeals by Kathy Hester. The soup serves 4 as a starter or side.

Cook Time47 minutes mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chickpea Vegetable Soup

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 188kcal

Author: Asian in America

Equipment

• Large Stock Pot or Dutch Oven: 10 or 12 quarts

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 1/2 cups diced potatoes
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup sliced yellow squash
• 1/2 cup sliced zucchini
• 1 can (15 oz. or 425 g.) chickpeas (garbanzos_ drained
• 6 cups water or rice wash
• 1/2 cup (40 g.) steel cut oats
• 2 cups shredded napa cabbage
• 2 Tablespoons dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground rosemary
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

• In a large stock pot, over medium heat, add the olive oil. When oil is hot enough, in about 1 to 2 minutes, add the onions. Saute the onions for 5 minutes till translucent. Next, add the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes more.
• To the same stock pot, add the potatoes, carrots, chickpeas (or garbanzos), squash, zucchini slices and water (or rice wash). Blend the ingredients well. Adjust the heat to a high. Cover and bring the soup mixture to a boil.
• After the soup boils, lower the heat to a simmer. Add the oats, 2 tablespoons of yeast, smoked paprika, basil and ground rosemary. Stir the soup so the seasonings blend well. Cover and simmer the soup till the oats are fully cooked. This will take about 20 to 25 minutes more. Every now and then, stir the pot so the oats do not stick to the bottom of the stock pot.
• When the oats are fully cooked, toss in the napa cabbage and additional 2 tablespoons yeast. Cook the napa cabbage for about 5  minutes. Season with salt and black pepper just before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.
• Cook’s Comments: In the original recipe, the author used sweet potatoes which are also a great addition to this rich, hearty soup meal. The original recipe also used marjoram and thyme. Feel free to add these seasonings if desired.
• Recipe tip: I have blogged about using rice wash (or 'hugas bigas' as Filipinos call it). To obtain this, wash the uncooked rice grains twice. At the second wash, save the water and use it for soup broths.
• OATrageous Oatmeals: Delicious & Surprising Plant-Based Dishes From This Humble Heart-Healthy Grain by Kathy Hester is available on Amazon or where most books are sold. For convenience, click on the Amazon tab of this blog where you can purchase it here.
• Disclosure: I was not paid to review this cookbook, but it has terrific recipes and is a good source for anyone who loves oatmeal and is looking for healthy all-vegetable meal options.
• Hello, Friends! All the images and content here are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED. This means BY LAW you are NOT allowed to use my photos or content on your website  without my permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write it in your own words and simply link back to this blog to give proper attribution. It’s the legal thing to do. Thank you.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 583mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 123IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

Notes on Nutrition: The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.

Did you like this recipe?I have more Filipino Instant Pot recipes in my newest cookbook Instant Filipino Recipes: My Mother’s Traditional Philippine Cooking in A Multicooker Pot by Elizabeth Ann Besa-Quirino. I also have more classic recipes inspired by my mother’s cooking in my popular cookbook: My Mother’s Philippine Recipes. If you’re learning how to cook Filipino food or a fan of Philippine cuisine, buy my cookbooks and books on Amazon.com sold worldwide in paperback and Kindle format.

Copyright Notice: Hello, Friends! Please DO NOT LIFT OR PLAGIARIZE my original recipe, stories, photos or videos. All the images and content on this blog are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED and owned by my media company Besa-Quirino LLC. This means BY LAW you are NOT allowed to copy, scrape, lift, frame, plagiarize or use my photos, essays, stories and recipe content on your websites, books, films, television shows, videos, without my permission. If you wish to republish this recipe or content on media outlets mentioned above, please ASK MY PERMISSION, or re-write it in your own words and link back to my blog AsianInAmericaMag.com to give proper attribution. It is the legal thing to do. Thank you. Email me at [email protected]