Meatless Monday with Greek Chickpea Soup

Opa! Welcome (back) and thank you for joining us for another Meatless Monday. We took the Meatless Monday pledge as part of our environmental initiatives at our green call centre in support of reducing meat consumption to improve personal and planetary health. You can read more at meatlessmonday.com about how this small effort can have great environmental impact.

If you haven’t already guessed it we are enjoying a taste of Greece today (hence the Opa!) with a fabulous Greek chickpea soup recipe from Food Network Canada darling Christine Cushing’s show Christine Cushing Live. We substituted the chicken stock for vegetable stock in this recipe and it’s just as good (if not better). This warm and hearty meal in a bowl is perfect for this time of year when there is still a chill in the air but the thought of warmer weather leaves you wanting to eat lighter. Plus there is something very comforting and satisfying about a good bowl of soup and this one is even healthy. Now let’s get cooking.

Ingredients
• 1 cup dried chickpeas (250 ml)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (30 ml)
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 5 cups vegetable stock (1.25 litres)
• 1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano (5 ml)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (2 ml)
• 2 bay leaves
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (125 ml)
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice, to finish soup, optional
• Splash of olive oil, to finish soup, optional
• Grilled pita bread, for serving (whole wheat would be best)

Directions
1. Soak chickpeas in water. Cover and Refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain.
2. Sauté onions in olive oil on medium heat until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the carrot and celery, sauté until vegetables soften, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Add garlic and cumin and Greek oregano and continue to cook 1 to 2 minutes more or until garlic is golden. Add vegetable stock, chickpeas, lemon zest and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 40 to 45 minutes or until chickpeas are tender.
3. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Add chopped fresh parsley, lemon juice and olive oil.

Tip: dried chickpeas will double in volume when soaked. If you prefer, use 2 cups of canned chickpeas

This recipe for Greek chickpea soup will make seven cups of soup which translates into approximately 2-4 servings but soups are very easy to adjust to however many you are cooking for. Although it is recommended to be served with grilled pita bread, you can choose another grilled multi-grain or gluten free bread if you prefer. To grill the pita (or other bread) brush on a little oil and warm it in your gill pan. If you don’t have a grill pan, brush it with oil and place it under the broiler in your oven but remember to keep an eye on it as it can go from warmed to burnt really fast.

If you haven’t already, we encourage you to visit meatlessmonday.com to learn more. Join the movement and promote taking the Meatless on Monday pledge to co-workers and make your green call centre, office, factory, shop or salon even greener.

Απολαύστε (enjoy)!