Spicy Chickpea and Summer Vegetable Soup

Summer soup

When the temperature outside is 114 degrees (no lie), I mostly want dinners that consist of ice cream. Then ice cream later for dessert. But that doesn’t always happen. Sometimes we crank the air and head to the stove to make a meal like Spicy Chickpea and Summer Vegetable Soup.

Soup isn’t typically top choice for summer meals, but this dish is nothing like sitting down to a heavy fall soup or stew. The fresh summer veggies lighten things up.

Spice things up

You could use whatever vegetables you have handy, and toss them together with stock and seasonings for a light, quick meal. I added harissa paste for some zing, and lemon juice and zest (my favorite part of the soup) to lighten things up. If you don’t have harissa handy, use any sort of hot sauce, or red pepper flakes if you prefer.

When it’s so hot out that you could cook an egg on the sidewalk, head indoors, grab a cold beverage and make a batch of this summer soup instead!

Recipe for
Spicy Chickpea and Summer Vegetable Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
• 1, 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 small zucchini, sliced into rounds and cut in half
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 6 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into small pieces
• 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1-1/2 teaspoons harissa paste or hot sauce of your choice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large stockpot over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and cook until they turn translucent, or about 5 minutes.
3. Add the harissa paste (or hot sauce) and mix with the onion.
4. Add the vegetable broth, chickpeas, zucchini, corn, red bell pepper, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 3-4 minutes, then add the asparagus and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
6. Add the lemon juice and zest and serve in individual bowls.

Serves 4-6