carrot soup with tahini and crisped chickpeas
It’s the first week of January, so I am going to go out on a limb and guess that no fewer than 52 percent of you are gnawing on a carrot stick right now. If you’re not gnawing on a carrot stick right now, you probably have some within reach of you. If they’re not within reach of you, they’re in your fridge, because you, like most of us, are more ambitious when it comes to grocery lists than you might be when it’s time to consume said groceries. And if they’re not in your fridge, you might have them on your mind, nagging at you. Early January is like that. (Late January is all about rich comfort foods. Trust me.)
Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
Counts 13 of 15 ingredients — the other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and contribute nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume — 13 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chickpea | 1/2 cup canned (120g) drained | 134 |
| Sesame | 1 tbsp (14g) | 120 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Tahini | 1 tbsp (15g) | 89 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Carrot | 1 medium (61g) | 25 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Cumin | 1 tsp ground (2.1g) | 8 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Coriander | not in our table | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 2 pounds (905 grams) carrots, peeled, diced or thinly sliced
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 regular or 6 small garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt, plus more if needed
- Pinch of Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
- 4 cups (945 ml) vegetable broth
- 1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-ounce (425-gram) can, drained, patted dry on paper towels
- 1 generous tablespoon (15 ml or so) olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 tablespoons (25 grams) tahini paste
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
- Pinch or two of salt
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water
- A few large pitas, cut into 8 wedges
- Olive oil, to brush pitas
- Za’atar (a Middle Eastern
- ) or sesame seeds and sea salt to sprinkle
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped