Meatless Meals Part 1: Spiced Chickpea and Vegetable Soup with Charmoula

Let me preface this by saying that I am not vegetarian.  I do, however, agree with many of the arguments for becoming one, and I have dramatically reduced the amount of animal products that I consume.  Most Americans consume far more meat in their daily diet than they nutritionally need to.  Reducing your portion size the number of meat-based meals you eat can lower your cholesterol and guard against heart disease and diabetes.  Raising meat for human consumption is also a highly inefficient use of natural resources.  In order to raise one pound of edible beef, a cow must consume as much as 16 pounds of grain(1) and 2,400 gallons of water(2).  The environmental cost of a meat-based diet is, in itself, reason enough to cut back.  According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, livestock are responsible for 18 per cent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming - more than cars, planes and all other forms of transportation combined(3).  In fact, if every American substituted one chicken dinner for a vegetarian meal, the carbon dioxide savings would be equivalent to taking more than a million cars of the roads(4). 

Can't make the leap to a purely vegetarian or vegan diet?  That's OK!  With these types of lifestyle decisions, I believe that people have to make choices that they feel comfortable with.  We can all always be greener, less wasteful, more kind and more generous people.  So if these arguments are salient to you, think thoughtfully about what more you can (and are willing) to do. 

If you are going to eat meat, try to eat less, and be smart about where you get it.  Look for meat that is:

-locally raised in your area: you'll be supporting a local business and reducing the fossil fuels used to transport your meat to your table.

-grass fed/pasture raised/free range:  there are a lot of terms thrown around out there and it is not always easy to understand to what they refer.  The idea is that you want an animal that was allowed to roam freely (not caged) and eat grass from a pasture.  Turns out, not only is this a better quality of life for the animal, but the meat tastes better too!  

-from ranches certified with Animal Welfare Approval: this organization sets very progressive standards for the treatment of animals and helps to ensure they receive proper care, are allowed to behave naturally, and live in a state of physical and psychological well-being.  For more information, visit www.animalwelfareapproved.org/.


The following recipe is adapted from a fun new cook book my Dad sent me for Christmas - The Paley's Place Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from the Pacific Northwest..  Paley's Place Bistro is one of our favorite restaurants in Portland.  This recipe shows that vegetarian (here vegan!) food can be delicious, satisfying, flavorful and sophisticated - the smells coming out of my kitchen were nothing short of intoxicating! Chermoula is commonly used in North African cooking and is somewhat akin to pesto.  It is wonderful with this soup - and also a great marinade for fish, vegetables and poultry!

Enjoy!

Spiced Chick Pea and Vegetable Soup with Charmoula

Adapted from: The Paley's Place Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from the Pacific Northwest.  Ten Speed Press (October 2008).

Ingredients:

1 cup dried chickpeas (aka. garbanzo beans)
12 cups cold water
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
2 bay leaves
1 tbs kosher salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white parts only, halved lengthwise, washed and sliced
1 large carrot, diced
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp fennel seed, toasted and ground
1 tsp ground cumin
pinch of red pepper flakes
6 ounces of Kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 


For the Charmoula:

1/2 bunch Italian parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
1/2 bunch mint, leaves only, finely chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves only, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp fennel seed, toasted and ground
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a bowl, cover the chickpeas with 4 cups of the cold water and soak overnight in the refrigerator.  While it may be tempting to skip a few steps and just use canned chickpeas, the recipe uses the cooking liquid for the dried chickpeas as the base for the soup.  Plus, the bay leaves, star anise and cinnamon used to flavor the liquid add a lot of flavor.

When you are ready to make the soup, drain the chickpeas from their soaking liquid.  In a large soup pot, combine the chickpeas, the remaining 8 cups water, cinnamon stick, star anise, bay leaves, and salt.  Cook over medium-high heat, covered, until the chickpeas are tender, 30-40 minutes.  When the chickpeas have finished cooking, discard the star anise, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves.  Transfer the chickpeas and their cooking liquid to a bowl and set aside. 

In the same soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the leeks, carrot and fennel and season with salt and pepper.  Saute the veggies until they are soft, stirring frequently.  Add the ground fennel, cumin seed, and red pepper flakes and cook until nice and fragrant, around a minute or so.  Add the kale and tomatoes and cook until the kale is wilted.  Pour in the chickpeas and their cooking liquid.  Bring the everything to a simmer.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.

To make the charmoula, combine the parsley, mint, cilantro, cumin, fennel, and garlic in the workbowl of a food processor.  Pulse until minced.  Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper and pulse to combine.  With the food processor turned on, drizzle the olive oil through the feeding tube.  Transfer the mix to a small container, cover tightly, and refrigerate until you are ready to eat.

Ladle the completed soup into bowls, garnish with a large spoonful of charmoula.