Potato Soup with Chickpeas

I really enjoy my Purple Carrot boxes - their recipes are innovative, fun, and delicious. This recipe uses some of their tricks: mixing miso with bullion as a soup base, then adding multiple layers on top of the finished dish for taste, texture, and visual appeal. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 link Andouille sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 cups water or 1 cup water and 1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 tsp chicken bullion, if not using chicken broth

1 tsp white or yellow miso

1 cup yukon gold potatoes, diced

1/2 cup carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch lengths

salt and pepper to taste

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

lemon zest

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus thyme sprigs for garnish

   or 1 tsp dried thyme

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 2 or 3 minutes, just until the onion begins to turn translucent. Add some water to the pot if the vegetables start to stick. Place the Andouille sausage into a microwave proof container and cook on high for 1 minute. Drain the sausage, discarding the fat, then add the sausage to the soup pot. Add the water, along with the bullion and miso. Then add the potatoes and carrots. Bring to a simmer and cook, about 15 minutes, until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Taste the soup, adding salt and pepper to taste. 

Toss the chickpeas with the lemon zest, pepper, and olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes, until the chickpeas start to get crispy and slightly brown on the outside. 

Serve by ladling soup into bowls, then topping each bowl with a generous spoonful or two of chickpeas. Finish by garnishing with thyme leaves. 

Serves 3 or 4

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Meal kits have been all the rage for a while now. Of course, I had to jump on the bandwagon to see what all the fuss was about. The Purple Carrot meals are vegan and come with the ingredients already measured out and packaged together in one bag. I find they combine ingredients in ways that are frequently new to me, like crunchy chickpeas on top of smooth tasting soups. They've also introduced me to some ingredients that are just now becoming easy to find in the regular supermarket - think gochujang! Trying new foods, new combinations, or new meal kits, is another great way to expand our horizons and find new ways to enjoy healthy meals.