This post was created in partnership with USA Pulses and Pulse Canada.
Root vegetables are the perfect thing to be eating right now, when our bodies require more high-quality fuel to keep warm. They gather all their energy underground, where they grow to become nutrient and calorie-dense. Roots are grounding in the most literal sense. Parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, celeriac, beets, rutabaga, and any other root veggies you can think of, will make for a great addition to your winter meals. This soup highlights parsnips, the roots that look like albino carrots and have the loveliest sweet and earthy flavor. They are pureed together with warming spices like turmeric and coriander, as well as home-cooked chickpeas, which make this soup even more hearty, and satisfying enough to be eaten as a light lunch. Whole chickpeas and ribboned kale are then warmed in the pureed mixture, to make for the perfect balance of creamy and chunky.
Have you tried adding half a cup of pulses, like the chickpeas in this soup (along with beans, lentils and dry peas) to your meals throughout the week yet? We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: they are the perfect, nutrient-dense and affordable building blocks for healthy, hearty and sustainable meals. Head here for more of our recipes using pulses, and be sure to check out Half Cup Habit.
- 1 cup dried chickpeas - soaked overnight in purified water with a splash of acv
- 2 bay leaves (optional)
- 2-inch piece of kombu seaweed (optional)
- sea salt
- 1 tablespoon neutral coconut oil
- 1 onion - chopped
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 3 garlic cloves - sliced
- 1 lb parsnips - peeled and roughly chopped
- black pepper - to taste
- 5 cups chickpea broth + more if needed (recipe below)
- 1 bunch kale - finely chopped
- za'atar, herbs/sprouts and nuts/seeds - for serving
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Combine them with 8 cups of purified water, bay leaves and kombu, if using, in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, partially covered for about 30 minutes, or until the chickpeas are completely cooked. Add salt at the end. Discard the bay leaves and kobmu, then strain, reserving the chickpea broth.
- Warm the coconut oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, coriander, turmeric, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt, and sauté for 7 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute, until fragrant.
- Add the parsnips, 1 cup of the cooked chickpeas, more salt and black pepper, and 5 cups of the chickpea broth to the same pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, for about 15 minutes, or until the parsnips are completely cooked and soft throughout.
- Puree all the contents of the pot in batches in an upright blender. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust if needed. Return the pureed mixture to the same pot.
- Add the kale to the pot and stir it in. If the soup is too thick at this point, add a little more of the reserved chickpea broth to achieve the desired soup consistency. Bring the soup to a gentle boil once more, and simmer, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add the remaining cooked chickpeas and stir to warm them through. Serve the soup warm, sprinkled with za'atar and any herbs/sprouts or nuts/seeds of choice.
Looks really yummy but what is acv?
Apple cider vinegar :)
Hi Anya,
What is a purpose of ACV ?
Thanks,
Anna
Hi Anna,
It’s always good to soak your beans and grains with a bit of an acidic medium, as it helps break down the phytic acid, thus making the beans/grains easier to digest. Some people use lemon juice or whey (I’ve also heard that salt or baking soda works for this) but I mostly prefer apple cider vinegar, as I always have it on hand.
I’m so happy you liked the soup :)
Love both the simplicity and COLORS of this!
Thank you!
This is just what I needed. I have a cold and wanted something easy enough to make that was homemade.
Hope you get well soon :)
i made this soup. the combination of fennel, coriander and turmeric is AMAZING!! it’s so interesting that the inclusion of fennel into typical indian spices takes the flavor down such an unusual and interesting road! i modified the soup a bit: i added all the garbanzo cooking liquid, with the addition of a little more coriander and turmeric before i blended it. it was so sweet and smooth and delish at this stage that i just didn’t want to add any texture by including the rest of the beans & kale. i did add about a quarter of a can of coconut milk which made it even more silky and smooth. OMG!! over the top perfect.
thank you for your recipes!
Hi Andrea,
So glad you enjoyed the soup! Your modifications sound amazing. Adding coconut milk to creamy soups like this one is always a great idea :)
I made the soup, loved it and I used all the chickpea broth. The soup was thick enough.
Thank you, Ania , for the recipe
Anna
I made this soup (it was delicious!) by blending it in my vitamix and it stained the container yellow! Do you have any experience with this or tips for clearing it up? I tried soaking it overnight in white vinegar/warm water but that didn’t help.
Thanks Ania! For the recipe and more :)
xx
Allie
Hi Allie,
Glad you enjoyed the soup :)
Yes, that happens to my Vitamix every time I use turmeric, too, but I find that the color goes away after a week or so (and numerous washes). I’ve also heard of the method where you fill up the blender with white vinegar, baking soda, and water, and blend everything on high, which is supposed to clean the blender. Another one is making a paste of baking soda and water, and applying it on the blender walls, letting it sit for an hour or so, and then scrubbing it off. I do that when I want to deep clean the blender. Hope this helps!
wonderful spin of flavors on a pulse-soup. It was very easy because I used canned beans for lack of time.
Thanks for the creation!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I just stumbled across your channel and I LOVE IT! Your so personable and I really enjoy your insight on food!
That looks and sounds so yummy!! I am definitely saving this and putting it on my meal plan for next week.
Thank you Adela! Hope you enjoy it :)