Moroccan Carrot Soup with Spiced Chickpea Croutons
Cold and crappy weather calls for a big bowl of warm soup.
Taylor and I have been obsessively checking the weather forecast, checking the greenhouse temperature, and even hanging out in the greenhouse with big mugs of coffee early in the morning to keep an eye on our seedlings. I am constantly waking up in the middle of the night from nightmares of our greenhouse heater shutting off. I guess you could say winter vacation is officially over.
Thank god Henry is ready to tackle the farm season. He seems more eager than we are for a daily routine again. Who needs an alarm clock when Henry is ready to rock and roll at 5 am? Good farm dog! The good news (for Taylor and me at least) is that we get to slowly ease into the season this year. The hardest work is still a couple of weeks away and it feels nice to take things one step at a time right now.
This carrot soup has everything I love. Harissa spice (which if you still haven’t tried I highly recommend!) lovely carrots, a pinch of fresh lime juice, and perfectly crispy chickpeas. It is a bowl of pure health and the flavor is outstanding. I am going to start making my own harissa spice blend once the three jars that were given to us are gone! It seems like a cinch to make and I will report back once I give it a whirl! Have any of you made homemade harissa yet? If so please share your recipe in the comments!
If it’s chilly and dreary where you are grab a spoon and dig into this soup. Enjoy!
Moroccan Carrot Soup with Spiced Chickpea Croutons
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30-45 minutes Serves: 4
- 1 TBS coconut oil (or oil of choice)
- 2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, diced
- 1 bunch of carrots (about 1 lb worth) Diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tsp freshly minced ginger
- 2 tsp - 2 TBS harissa (depending on the brand the spice level with vary. Start with 2 tsp and add more as you go. We ended up using over 3 TBS worth but we like the heat!)
- 5 cups vegetable stock (add more if you like a thinner soup)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Squeeze of fresh lime juice
- Cilantro for garnish
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, if canned rinsed, drained, and patted dry
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- pinch of fine sea salt
- 2 tsp coconut oil (or oil of choice)
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the chickpeas with the spices and oil. Place on a prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven until lightly browned and crisp. About 25-30 minutes. Toss halfway through cooking time.
- Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the leeks and sauté for about 5 minutes stirring often. Add the garlic, carrots, ginger and harissa (remember to start with less harissa and add more as you taste test). Sauté vegetables for about 3 more minutes. Stir in vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes (or until vegetables are tender)
- With an immersion blender (or carefully with a regular blender) Puree the soup. Season with salt and pepper. Taste test and add more harissa if needed.
- Serve soup with spiced chickpeas, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and plenty of minced cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
Use this recipe as a guide. Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary. Always taste test as you go.
The rain is coming down in fits and spurts here as autumn finally rolls in over Australia, and I am definitely in the mood for some soup to keep me warm.
I am glad you can ease into the planting season slowly. Best wishes and hope it all goes according to plan 🙂
This soup will taste lovely on a rainy day in Australia!!!
yum – love the idea of chickpea croutons. How long do they store and stay crispy for?
The chickpea croutons are best eaten the day of or day after. I’d store them in a ziplock bag in the cupboard for no longer than a day.
Henry looks sooo sweet. And Ilove the idea of harissa in the carrot soup with chickpeas. I use it constantly as a flavor booster and was also planning to make it myself soon. 😉 I’ve come across two recipes that look good, but I haven’t tried them yet: Erin’s looks great with chipotles in adobo: http://naturallyella.com/2014/02/11/harissa-lentils-and-cauliflower/
and I haven’t tried anything of Ottolenghi’s in Jerusalem that I didn’t love, so I’m sure this is no exception: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Harissa-51185010
Can’t wait to see your version!
Thanks for the links!!!
Definitely a perfect soup to keep you warm in winter, indeed! I can just picture you and Taylor with this soup in a thermos, monitoring the greenhouse temperature. NEED to try harissa! Need!!
Girl, you gotta get on the harissa train!!!
So excited to try this. I am in Texas and its starting to warm up a bit, but I am soup fiend year round. I recently discovered your blog and just want to say how grateful I am for it. You are an inspiration as a farmer and a cook and the recipes are delicious! Thank you for keeping me motivated to cook and enjoy fresh, healthy, delicious food!
Thank you for such a lovely comment Lindsey!
I sure could use a big bowl of this soup right now! It’s been mid-50s here – no complaints – but my office is freezing 🙂 The flavors in here sound awesome, and I am impressed as always that you continue to share these lovely recipes while running a farm!
You have turned me into a Harissa eating fool! I love that stuff and may have a few recipes up my sleeve that use it. 😉 I can’t wait to see your homemade version too. The kind I’ve been buying is a wee bit pricey so I could use a cheaper option.
But really, this soup looks unbelievably good. I feel like that’s all I ever say on here but it’s true! Everything always looks amazing. Love the crunchy chickpea croutons!
yay!!! I’m so happy you love it too 🙂
What a little sweetie-pie! I’ve never tried harissa, but this soup looks perfect for a chilly evening 🙂
Isn’t he the best? We love Henry so much. And yes, this soup is almost as sweet as henry. Almost!!!
Love this soup, chickpea croutons bring this to a new level. I’ve never used harissa before, but I gladly buy some to make this soup.
Definitely give harissa a try. We can’t seem to get enough!
This soup sounds really lovely. We have been eating a lot of soup this winter — it’s definitely been needed. I’d like to try making homemade Harissa as well!
It’s been a looooong winter. Thank god for soup right?!
I’m extremely ready to say good bye to winter. I’m ready to enjoy the outdoors again without my fingers freezing off. This soup is perfect for cold weather and welcoming in fresh, spring air.
Cheers to springtime!!!
I just made a carrot soup and it was one of my favorite things I’ve eaten all year! I did some chickpea croutons, too. Love them for protein. This sounds fab!
Made this for dinner last night. So delicious and so eary to make. Those chickpea croutons were really good.. I always seem to have carrots in the veggie drawer….good to have a different way to use them up. Thanks for sharring!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this soup as much as we did!!!
Wow Andrea, all I have to say is HOLY HARISSA! I made this last night and it was the best carrot soup I have made so far. So tasty and delicious. I never attempt new spices and decided to give this a whirl, thank goodness I did. Yum.
Can’t wait to see what else you have under your sleeve ….and more pics of Henry 😉
AJ,
I’m so happy you loved this soup as much as we did! Harissa is my new favorite spice and I have plans to use it in a lot of recipes to come!
Wow and Yum!! I made my own harissa-super easy and quick! and this soup just warmed me up all over on this blustery day. Thanks! Oh, and I love the new smoothie too.
I’m so happy you loved this soup as well!!!
I really enjoy how you add personal touches to all your recipes! It gives it a very “At home” feel! 🙂
Thank you!
This is the tastiest recipes I’ve tried in a long time! Thick and creamy with just enough heat…and then topped with lime and cilantro, yummy!! I’m a super fan! Love following your posts too!
This is awesome!
just wondering, when does the ginger go in? Also where in the grocery store is harissa located usually?
thanks.
I just updated the recipe! The ginger gets suateed with the other veggies. You can find harrisa in the ethnic isle of most grocery stores. I hope you enjoy this soup as much as we do!
I was looking through your blog for a recipe that used one of my new spices, and this one looked SOUPerb, given that Denver is in the single digits and just getting colder. SO GOOD! (I used black beans instead of chickpeas because I needed to use them up, but left it the same besides that). Hearty, warm, and flavorful! Psyched to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Harissa for the win!
yeah girl!!! So happy you loved the soup (and your new spices!!) stay warm and chat soon. xoxo
I’m working on my weekly shopping list and came across this recipe for the chickpea croutons. Just added to my list as they will be a perfect companion for my tomato soup.
The recipes you share are no less than bliss.
amazing
Did not disappoint. Delicious! This will be in our regular rotation.
i rely like your blog .excellent work
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how far the ingredients traveled