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Chickpea and Couscous Soup

Swati
A hearty and filling soup made with Chickpeas, Couscous and veggies like carrots and tomato, flavoured with spices to give a comforting meal!! Learn how to make Chickpea and Couscous Soup.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dinner, Soups
Cuisine Levantine
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 11/2 Cup Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans 1 Can/15 Oz
  • 1/4 Cup Israeli Couscous
  • 2-3 Tomatoes
  • 1 Carrot(diced)
  • 1 Cup Spinach Leaves
  • 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Onions
  • 2-3 Garlic Cloves
  • 1" Ginger Piece
  • 1/2 Tsp Cumin Powder
  • 1/2 Tsp Coriander Powder
  • 1/2 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
  • 2-3 Cups Vegetable Stock or Water
  • 1 Tsp Lemon Juice
  • 1-2 Tsp Olive Oil/any flavourless oil
  • 3-4 Peppercorns
  • 3-4 Cloves
  • 1 Cinnamon(Small stick)

Instructions
 

  • Drain Chickpeas. If using pre-boiled chickpeas(use 1 1/2 Cup). 
  • Cube Carrots and roughly chop 1 tomato. Puree the other 2. Crush garlic and ginger in mortar and pestle.

Instant Pot Method

  • Set the Instant Pot on saute mode(high) for 10 mins. When the screen shows hot sign, add oil. 
  • Add crushed ginger and garlic. Saute for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add  finely chopped onions and saute till onions turn light pink.
  • Add finely chopped tomato, tomato puree, carrots, spices and chickpeas and couscous. 
  • Add water/vegetable stock and salt and mix everything nicely. Add the spinach leaves. 
  • Cancel the saute mode. Put the cover and lock it. 
  • Set the Soup mode on on high for 8 minutes. 
  • Once the timer goes off, release the pressure, open the lid and check the soup. 
  • Mash some chickpeas using a masher or the ladle, add serve hot. A tsp of lemon juice to the soup perks up the flavour!!

Stove-top Pressure Cooker Method

  • Do all the preparation as per the above steps, when ready to cook heat pressure cooker on medium flame. 
  • Add oil, saute ginger and garlic paste, add onions, once onions turn light pink, add all the ingredients along with the spices and water/vegetable stock , close the lid and cook the soup till 2-3 whistles. 
  • Once the pressure goes down, open the lid, mash chickpeas and adjust the seasoning and water and serve hot. 
  • Remember to take out cinnamon stick before serving.

Notes

  • Israeli Couscous is made of wheat and semolina , for a gluten-free version use an gluten-free couscous like amaranth couscous.
  • Israeli Couscous( also known as Pearl Couscous) if different from Moroccan Couscous which is bigger pearls.
  • You can any other vegetables of your choice like zucchini or butternut squash or pumpkin.
  • Kale can be used in stead of Spinach.
  • I have used whole spices like cloves, cinnamon and peppercorns. There are recipes that suggest using the powdered spices. Use any as available.
  • Garnish soup with Parsley it adds a nice flavor to it. I didn't use it as I didn't have it this time.
  • I boiled the chickpeas at home. You can use a can chickpeas or soak some chickpeas for 5-6 hrs. Boil in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot for 10-15 minutes and use accordingly.
  • I use fresh tomatoes in my recipes, you can use canned tomatoes as per your convenience,
  • Time to cook the soup is 8 minutes, it takes 7-8 minutes extra for pressure to build up in Instant pot so the total cook time is 15-20 minutes.
Keyword Chickpeas, Instant Pot Soup Recipe, Israeli Couscous Soup, Leavantine Soup recipe
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