Spanish Tomato Soup with Roasted Chickpeas

Between the roasted red pepper, smoked paprika, almonds, and parsley, this recipe puts a major Spanish spin on classic tomato soup. After eating it I basically felt like taking a quick spin around the Prado and then catching a bullfight (and you probably know how I feel about bullfights). And this soup is not only very Spanish but also gooood. Like, lick-your-bowl-clean good. And so pretty (see below)! If I don't make this regularly throughout the upcoming cold weather months, I will be surprised.

Spanish Tomato Soup with Roasted Chickpeas
Adapted from Cooking Light

• Red bell pepper, halved lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped, divided
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 28-oz can no-salt-added whole peeled tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (more to taste)
• Salt and pepper
• 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Preheat broiler. Discard seeds and membranes from bell pepper; place, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 8 minutes or until blackened. Seal in a bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel. Reduce oven to 450 F.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 3 garlic cloves; cook 1 minute. Add canned tomatoes (crush them with your hands before adding) and cream; bring to a simmer. Add paprika, a big pinch of salt, and a few grinds of the peppermill. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Blend with an immersion blender, or blend in batches in a regular blender. (If using a regular blender, it's safer to let the soup cool for 5-10 minutes first.)

Meanwhile, while soup is simmering, combine 5 garlic cloves and chickpeas in a roasting pan. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil, cumin, and a pinch of salt. Toss to combine. Roast at 450 F for 12 minutes, stirring once. Ladle soup into bowls and top evenly with chickpea mixture, parsley, and almonds.

Caraway-Spiced Chickpea Stew with Mint Yogurt

Why is it that food always tastes better when someone else cooks it for you? Last night after work I wasn't feeling well, so Joe made dinner for us (and even did the dishes afterwards) (now do you understand why I'm marrying this guy?). I'd been hanging onto this recipe for a while, waiting until the weather turned a little cooler. Well, yesterday it was a rainy 60-degree day. It felt like fall was finally approaching, so a light stew was just what the doctor ordered.

Caraway-Spiced Chickpea Stew with Mint Yogurt
Adapted from Food & Wine

• Two 14-oz cans of chickpeas
• 2 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 pounds Swiss chard, stems discarded and leaves sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 teaspoon dried mint (or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped finely)
• 3 tablespoons cilantro leaves

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Reserve 1/4 cup of the chickpeas' can liquid and then rinse and drain the chickpeas.

Spread the carrots on a rimmed baking sheet, toss with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 15 minutes, until barely tender.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the onion and caraway and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chard leaves and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots, chickpeas, reserved chickpea liquid, and 1/4 cup water; simmer over low heat for 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, mix the yogurt with the mint and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the stew to bowls and garnish with the cilantro. Pass the mint yogurt at the table.

Chopped Moroccan Salad

You know the drill. It's summer, it's hot out (hello, 103 degrees with a heat index of 119!), you don't feel like cooking, and there's no way you're turning on any sort of stove, oven, or other heat-emitting device. Obviously, this situation calls for a salad. This one's really fresh and full of nutritious and delicious ingredients. The Moroccan inspiration is mostly found in the spices of the dressing, but probably also in the fact that Moroccans likely don't feel like cooking in July either.

Chopped Moroccan Salad

From Women's Health Magazine

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 large pinch cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 6 cups baby arugula, chopped if desired
• 1/2 avocado, diced (use the whole thing if you love avocado)
• 2 medium or 1 large yellow tomato, diced
• Cucumber, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds or pistachios

Combine the oil, zest, lime juice, honey, cinnamon, and cumin in a blender or food processor, or whisk together until smooth. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Toss well with dressing.

One-Pan Eggplant & Chickpea Curry

The next time you need something delicious to make with a beautiful eggplant, or you're too tired to make something really involved for dinner, or you just don't want to do a lot of dishes, try this guy out. This is an insanely easy curry that you just pop into the oven so the veggies and chickpeas get all roasty in a garlicky curry paste. So wonderful with a dollop of cool plain yogurt and some toasty naan for wiping your plate clean.

 One-Pan Eggplant and Chickpea Curry

From Food & Wine

• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• One 15-oz can chickpeas, drained
• 1/4 cup finely julienned fresh ginger
• Freshly ground pepper
• One 5-ounce bag baby spinach
• Warm naan and plain yogurt, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425 F. On a work surface, mash the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt. In a large roasting pan, mix the paste with the curry powder and vegetable oil. Add the eggplant, onion, chickpeas and ginger, season with salt and pepper, and toss well. Spread the vegetables in an even layer and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the eggplant and onion are tender. Stir in the spinach and roast until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Serve with warm naan and yogurt.

Chickpeas & Chard with Pan-Roasted Tomatoes

I've had a string of bad luck with recipes lately. Well, not really "bad," but I've made a few things over the last week or so that were disappointingly bland and not worth blogging about. I will share some pictures, though, because they were both kind of pretty! The first one was this Kerala-style edamame curry recipe from Vegetarian Times. I was so excited to make it, but it ended up having very little flavor.

The other one was this eggplant compote tossed with pasta and topped with a poached egg. I think this recipe came from Bon Appetit? It was also disappointing because it just tasted kind of boring. (I always love a poached egg, though.)

These recipes were both kind of complicated in their own ways. The curry had a lot of whole spices going on, and the pasta dish involved poaching eggs (something neither Joe nor I have managed to quite master). So last night I was just kind of fed up and felt like making something really simple that wasn't going to be spectacular in any way but that was just going to taste good. Not crazy good, but plain and satisfying good. I ended up throwing together this simple recipe from (appropriately enough) Real Simple magazine, and it fit the bill pretty well. Simple flavors, fresh ingredients, unfussy preparation. Sometimes that's just what you need.

Chickpeas & Chard with Pan-Roasted Tomatoes
Paraphrased from Real Simple

• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided (if you're using a nonstick pan -- use more if using a regular pan)
• 4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• One bunch chard, washed thoroughly, thick stems removed, leaves torn
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• One 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Cook the rice according to package instructions. In the meantime, heat one teaspoon olive oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick pan. (Use more oil if not using a nonstick pan.) Add the tomato halves, cut side down, and cook 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until starting to brown. Flip tomatoes onto their "backs" and cook 1 more minute. Remove to a plate. Add the other teaspoon of oil to the pan and lower heat to medium. Add the chard, garlic, raisins, 2 tablespoons water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few pinches of black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the chard wilts, about 3 minutes. Add the chickpeas and lemon juice and heat through until warm. Adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve with the rice and tomatoes.

Israeli Couscous Tagine

Joe and I lived together for the first time in 2008 during our second summer of law school. We sublet an apartment in the Chinatown area of DC (which incidentally is one of the most pathetic Chinatowns you've ever seen, but that's another story). I was really excited about this turn of events and had been hoarding recipes for months in advance so that I would be fully prepared to wow him with my culinary skills. One of the recipes was torn from some magazine that I don't remember, and it was a recipe for a dish involving Israeli couscous. The only problem was that when we got to DC, I couldn't find Israeli couscous anywhere. Both grocery stores we regularly went to failed to stock it. Whole Foods had a spot for it on the shelf, labeled and everything, but I checked every single week and it was always maddeningly empty. Over the course of the summer, I became steadily more obsessed with Israeli couscous, but I never found it. Sadly, I was never able to impress Joe with my Israeli couscous, but I guess it worked out okay because he agreed to live with me again after we graduated (whew).

Well, it just so happens that our Harris Teeter in Arlington does carry Israeli couscous, and when I discovered this, I eagerly bought a box the second I saw it even though I had long ago thrown away the recipe I wanted to make that fateful summer. Fortunately, I found another recipe and finally got around to making it last night. It's from Mark Bittman's awesome compendium How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, and it was delicious. Joe, I hope you were wowed.

Israeli Couscous Tagine
From How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 zucchini, cut into bite-size pieces
• Half a head of cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup Israeli (pearl) couscous

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon sticks, and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the broth, apricots, tomatoes, chickpeas, zucchini, cauliflower, and carrots. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until the vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the couscous and cook for another 5-10 minutes or until the couscous is al dente. Remove cinnamon sticks, adjust seasonings as necessary, and serve.

Moroccan Zucchini and Chickpeas

So I've pretty much learned by now that if a recipe has "Moroccan" in the title, I'm probably going to like it. I mean, that word tells me the dish is going to have lots of cumin and coriander, some cinnamon, some mint, and it's probably going to be served with couscous. That's a recipe for success in my book.

Another thing I've learned is that healthy eating is much easier when the food you prepare is really flavorful. Healthy food should never be bland or boring. You know what has zero calories? Spices. This recipe is a great example of a dish that's low-cal, low-fat, and super tasty because it has tons of aromatic and delicious seasonings. It's a great way to keep that new year's resolution going as long as possible.

Moroccan Chickpeas and Zucchini

From Appetite for Reduction

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, sliced thinly
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• Generous pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 2 zucchini, sliced into half-moons
• One 24-oz can whole tomatoes
• Two 16-oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus a little extra for garnish
• Couscous, for serving

Preheat a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute the onions in the oil until translucent, about 4 minutes. Use a little nonstick cooking spray or broth if needed. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes, and saute for another minute. Add the remaining spices and salt, and saute for about 30 seconds. Deglaze the pot with the veggie broth and mix in the carrots. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the zucchini. Break up the tomatoes with your fingers and add them to the pot, including the juice. Mix in the chickpeas.

Cover the pot and bring to a slow boil. Cook for about 15 minutes. Then adjust the lid so that there's some room for steam to escape. Cook for another 15 minutes; the liquid should reduce a bit, but not too much. Add the mint and let sit for about 10 minutes to let the flavors meld. While the stew is resting, prepare the couscous. Remove the bay leaves from the stew and adjust the salt if necessary. Serve the stew over the couscous and garnish with mint.

Chickpea Piccata

One of my favorite things about the post-Christmas week is that I get to try out the new cookbooks that I've invariably been given. This year, the first new book I'm exploring is Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, the same lovely lady who gave the world my favorite vegan cookbook, Veganomicon.

This new book is different in that the recipes are intended to be more health-conscious. I love Veganomicon with every fiber of my being, but a lot of vegan recipes tend to be heavier on the oil and carbs, making them less healthy than what I want to eat regularly. This new book resolves that dilemma, and from what I can tell, it does so very handily.

This chickpea piccata is a delicious recipe that I would definitely make again. It was fast and flavorful, and I didn't feel gross afterwards. Perfect for a post-holiday meal.

Chickpea Piccata
From Appetite for Reduction

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
• 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup dry white wine (I used pinot grigio)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A generous pinch of dried thyme
• One 16-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup capers with a little brine
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 big lemon)
• 4 cups arugula
• One box of spaghetti

 Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions and set aside. Meanwhile, heat a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Saute the shallots and garlic for about 5 minutes, until golden. Add the bread crumbs and toast them by stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. They should turn a few shades darker.

Add the vegetable broth, wine, salt, pepper, and thyme. Turn up the heat, bring the mixture to a rolling boil, and let the sauce reduce by half; it should take about 7 minutes. Add the chickpeas and capers and let heat through, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and turn off the heat.

Place the arugula in your pasta bowls. Place the spaghetti over the arugula and ladle the piccata over the spaghetti.

Variations: Use mashed potatoes instead of pasta.

Curried Lentil Soup

My dog had surgery yesterday. He had this nasty mass on his chest that got really infected a couple weeks ago, so the vet decided he should have it removed entirely. When they cut it off him and looked inside it, there was a thorn in there. A thorn. Seriously? That is the world's most expensive thorn. An $1100 thorn, to be precise.

So last night was kind of hectic as we dealt with our drugged-out dog lurching about the apartment slamming into walls, crying, and oozing blood all over the carpet. Fortunately, I had planned to make a soup last night, so it worked out well. When you have a sick patient in the house, soup just seems appropriate, you know? I did the prep work ahead of time, and then after we picked Walter up from the vet, I just let it simmer on the stove while we tended to his crying and oozing. Not my ideal Friday night, but the soup was really good at least.

Curried Lentil Soup
From Bon Appetit

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped, divided
• 2 tablespoons (or more) curry powder
• 1 cup lentils (recipe calls for French green but I just used the regular brown kind)
• One 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons butter (vegans can omit this)
• 2 green onions, sliced

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add half of chopped garlic; stir until vegetables are soft but not brown, about 4 minutes longer. Add 2 tablespoons curry powder; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add lentils and 4 cups water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, puree chickpeas, lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and remaining garlic in processor.

Add chickpea puree and butter (if desired) to lentil soup. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and additional curry powder, if desired. Add water by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency. (Soup can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and refrigerate. Rewarm before continuing.)

Divide soup among bowls. Sprinkle with thinly sliced green onions.

Bonus picture: Walter in his post-surgery tee shirt (so he doesn't chew his stitches out...)

Fall Vegetable Curry

Joe and I have this great routine on Monday nights. (I probably find it more great than he does, but bear with me.) I go to my Zumba class after work to shake my booty and burn calories while looking like a flailing idiot (but a flailing idiot that's having fun). Then I come home, shower, and eat a home-cooked meal prepared lovingly by Joe while we watch Jeopardy! together. Finally, I curl up on the couch (while he retreats to the bedroom to do work or Spanish lessons) to watch that evening's episode of The Greatest Show of Our Time.

(Speaking of which, did you guys watch last night?! Uh, I basically needed a cold shower after the last 2 minutes of the episode. SO. GOOD.)

Anyway, this is what I came home to after Zumba last night. The apartment smelled amazing - even from the inside of the shower. Curry, you are so wonderful.

Fall Vegetable Curry
From Cooking Light

• 1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced peeled sweet potato
• 1 cup small cauliflower florets
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
• 2 teaspoons Madras curry powder (if you don't have Madras, use regular curry powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper)
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• Salt to taste
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
• Cooked rice, for serving (I used brown basmati)

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Decrease heat to medium. Add cauliflower, onion, and curry powder; cook 1 minute, stirring mixture constantly. Add broth and next 3 ingredients (through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cilantro; serve with yogurt and cooked rice.

Variations: The original recipe suggested adding a handful of chopped cashews to the cooked rice just before serving.

Tunisian Vegetable Stew

File this recipe under "makes your house smell like a Berber spice market." Tantalizing, no? This dish is a lovely Tunisian vegetable stew from one of my favorite cookbooks. I've made it a few times myself and have even coerced my Mom into preparing it at home during one of my visits.

Tunisian cuisine is an exotic blend of Mediterrean and desert ingredients. According to good ol' Wikipedia, lots of cultures have had an influence on its food: from Phoenicians, Arabs, and Turks to the French and the aforementioned Berbers. When you add all those together, you get tasty concoctions seasoned with coriander, cinnamon, hot peppers, and citrus. Of course, they're best served with a side of couscous, the national dish of Tunisia.

Tunisian Vegetable Stew

From  Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups thinly sliced cabbage
• Salt to taste
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup currants or raisins (I had both, so I used a combination)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Feta cheese
• Cooked couscous (I used whole wheat)

In a large skillet, saute the onions in the olive oil for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the cabbage, sprinkle with salt, and continue to saute for at least 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, and cayenne to the skillet and saute for another minute or so. Stir in the tomatoes, chickpeas, and currents and/or raisins, and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender. Add the lemon juice. Serve on couscous topped with feta.

Greek-Style Spaghetti Squash

When I was in college, we sometimes were served spaghetti squash in big trays in the Adams House dining hall. It was usually plain or accompanied by a lackluster marinara sauce. Oh, and it was dry. And unseasoned. I wasn't really that into it, so I never really thought about making it at home until I saw a big bin full of beautiful yellow spaghetti squashes at the grocery store last week.

I'm glad I decided to give it a chance, because I loved this recipe. It's so healthy, easy to make, and delicious. You just have the squash going in the microwave while you make the quick sauce on the stovetop. The whole thing can be done, start to finish, in 15 minutes. And it's waaayyy better than that stuff you get in the dining hall.

Greek-Style Spaghetti Squash

• One large spaghetti squash
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup scallions, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• One 14-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
• 1/4 cup feta cheese

Pierce squash with a fork in several places; place on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high, turning squash over every 3 minutes, until tender, about 12 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add scallions and garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes, chickpeas, oregano, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Increase heat to high and bring to a slow boil. Using a fork, scrape strands of squash into skillet with tomato-chickpea mixture. Cook, stirring, until squash strands are well coated; remove from heat and top with mint and feta.

Curried Chickpeas and Tofu

This is one of those meals that was incredibly easy to photograph because it's just so pretty and colorful. Sometimes I have to take a dozen shots before I get a photo I like, but with this one it was just one click and I was done.

On top of that fact (which I realize is probably not particularly relevant to anyone who may be reading this), this dish is also very tasty and a total snap to prepare. Start to finish, 20 minutes, tops. It's so simple that you can have a side dish going at the same time -- as you can see from the picture, I chose some simple steamed green beans.

Curried Chickpeas and Tofu

From Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced 
• 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil (use 2 if you are not using a non-stick skillet)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Pinch of cayenne (optional, but great)
• 1 cake tofu (3/4 pound), pressed for about a half hour (if you have time) and cut into cubes
• 2 cups undrained cooked chickpeas (one 16-ounce can)
• 2-3 tomatoes, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• Chopped fresh cilantro 
• Plain yogurt

Saute the onion and garlic in the oil until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally. Stir in the spices. Add the cubed tofu and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Add the chickpeas and about 1/2 cup of their liquid, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook until thoroughly heated. Serve topped with cilantro and/or yogurt if you like.

Variations: Vegans can feel free to omit the yogurt or to use soy yogurt instead.

Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Soup

When the weather is cold, I crave two things:

1. Soup.
2. Roasted stuff.

So I was pretty psyched today when Joe made me a roasted eggplant and chickpea soup for dinner. What?!

This recipe is from what I like to call Martha Stewart's "weeknight magazine" -- Everyday Food. They did a whole feature on roasted soups, but I immediately flagged this one for immediate preparation. I'm glad I did, since it's really delicious. Roasting the veggies gives it a nice full flavor, and a swirl of yogurt adds just the right amount of tang. A sprinkle of fragrant fresh oregano tops it all off.

Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Soup

• 2 medium eggplants, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small yellow onion, diced medium
• 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• Fresh oregano
• Plain yogurt

Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large bowl, toss together eggplants, onion, garlic, and 4 teaspoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer in a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet, leaving a wide strip of empty space at one end. In the bowl, toss chickpeas with 2 teaspoons oil. Transfer to empty space on sheet. Roast until eggplant is golden and cooked through and chickpeas are slightly crunchy, about 35 minutes.

Set chickpeas aside. Peel garlic and add to a medium pot, along with eggplant, onion, and broth. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-high. With a potato masher or back of a wooden spoon, mash some eggplant until soup is thick and chunky. Stir in chickpeas and season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, top with fresh oregano and plain yogurt.