It is getting chilly out some days and I have been craving peppery brothy soups for dinner. This is an easy soup in which you can add whatever you have in the fridge or pantry. Use any beans or lentils, some mushrooms and greens, veggies and some light peppery spices. Simmer and serve.
The garlic and ginger add a lot of flavor. Black pepper, white pepper, cinnamon and cumin add a deep complex profile to the warming flavorful broth. Cinnamon helps the pepper and the broth flavor profiles. Use other spices of choice. Add other veggies of choice. Add some cooked pasta for variation.
The next few weeks will be about trying to balance between 2 big events. Diwali on Nov 11 (that is so close!) and thanksgiving and then the rest of the holiday season. I found Diwali Bazaar on Amazon just today. I am off shopping for some Indian clothes and thinking of Diwali recipes for the week.
More soups from the blog
- Curried butternut squash soup
- Chard Mushroom Shallot Pasta soup
- Chipotle corn Chowder
- Moroccan lentil soup
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms I used cremini
- 1 to 2 tsp fresh ginger minced
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup other veggies like bell pepper, celery, sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp black pepper use less or more
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 2 tsp soy sauce/tamari use gluten-free soy sauce if needed or Coconut Aminos to make soy-free
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 to 1.5 tsp sugar or other sweetener
- 2 cups broth or water
- 1.5 cups or more water
- 1 cup spinach
- 1/2 tsp or more salt use less if you plan to use salted broth, or add later
- cornstarch to thicken in the end if needed
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and a pinch of salt and cook for 3 minutes or just about translucent. Stir occasionally.
- Add mushrooms and mix and cook for 3 minutes or until they starts to get golden.
- Add ginger, carrots and veggies and cook for a minute.
- Add chickpeas and spices and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, broth and water. Partially cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste and mix. Add in the spinach or other greens. Cook for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt, sweet, tang, spice. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh herbs of choice or scallions. Serve hot.
- To thicken, mix 2 tsp cornstarch in 2 tbsp water and mix into the soup in the last 5 minutes. Bring to a boil.
Variations: Add 1 chopped tomato at step 3 with the veggies.
Nutritional values based on one serving
This looks so good! However, you have tagged it gluten free and soy sauce has gluten in it. Thank you!
Thank you Sue. Lots of soy-sauce brands are gluten-free. look for gluten-free on the label
FYI…the side note to use a gluten free soy sauce is in the notes.
looks really nice! I Just made chickpea with Spinach and coconut milk. My fav flavours!
nice!
I want this NOW! Happy Diwali on the 11th..May your world be filled with light,just like you have given us!
Thank you Lani!
Too good! Amazingly, I had all the ingredients today! Wow. My family loved it so so much. Thanks Richa!
Awesome!!
I’ve just made this soup and it was lovely!
I thought the cinnamon sounded a bit strange, but decided not to omit it and I’m glad I didn’t 🙂
I used kale instead of spinach just because that was what I had, it worked really well.
Thank you for a great winter warming recipe.
Rebecca
Awesome! So glad you loved it! The cinnamon helps the pepper and the broth flavor profiles, though the soup can be made without as well.
Going to make this today!
yum! send me some? haha. i am sick and drinking so much soup.
also, i am so excited to see some diwali recipes 🙂
This is comfort in a bowl. I love chickpeas and mushrooms together.
This looks like a great crockpot recipe. Can I throw all ingredients, except greens, in the crockpot in the morning and then add greens just before serving? I usually cook on high 6 hours and then keep warm.
I dont know. I have never used slow cookers.
I found this page today, made this soup right away and it’s just perfect! Thanks! (And this comes from someone who HATES cooking)
yay! i am so glad you tried it 🙂 There are days when i cant stand much in the kitchen for various health reasons, so i do try to keep most recipes on the easy side. 🙂
This soup is delicious but I made a mistake 🙁 I didn’t have fresh ginger so I used dry powder and I put too much 🙁 Is there any way I can repair it?
how much did you use? You can drain some of the broth out and add more broth and simmer. or make another batch and mix in.
Well I made a double batch and I used a one and a half teaspoon. I think the flavour is more potent when you use dry spice, isn’t it? Thank you for the ideas, I will try them tomorrow!
it definitely is. ginger goes from nice to bitter really quickly in dry spice. hope it works out!
Thanks for another great dinner!
Awesome!!
I made this soup and it was absolutely fabulous! I ate it all so will have to make more for hubby!! Super healthy too!!
Awesome!!
Mmm. I love how this combines the excitement of picking out veggies in a broth soup with warming flavors and spices usually found in blended soups!
I’d like to thank you for this fantastic soup. I wouldn’t chamge anything. It’s heavenly.
Thanks!
This soup recipe is awesome!
Made this tonight and the little one loved it! Thanks!
I’ve recently stopped using chicken stock to make vegetable soup and have been struggling to get flavor with only vegetables. But this soup has such a robust and interesting flavor, I believe it will be my new favorite!
I used frozen spinach and think that was a mistake, next time I’ll use fresh.
awesome! I like using spices and herbs for flavor rather than premade stock.
Amazing recipe! made this today and added a piece of fresh chili pepper. Loved it!
This soup is so, so good. I made it when company came for dinner and it was a huge hit. Thank you!
Made this soup for dinner and yummmmm!!!! Also had kholarabi slaw over a wedge of lettuce. PERFECT dinner on a cold rainy day. Soup and salad.
Sooo good. A pinch of cayenne was enough for us. It is -22 F here, this soup was perfect for our cold winter ! Thank you !
brrrr. that is cold! so glad the soup worked out!
Thank you for another great recipe–much appreciated. I decided to add some quinoa and pearl barley to thicken it up and make it more of a meal in itself.
Easy to make! So delicious I instagrammed it! I subbed shallots for onions and it turned out fabulous! There’s enough to freeze ahead!
awesome!
This was ridiculously good!! The spice combo is magical!
awesome!
I made the version of this from your cookbook tonight. The broth is so good! Will definitely be making it again. I loved it, and my husband loved it as well. We had it without chickpeas but added cooked soba noodles instead. I also used arugula rather than spinach because I had that on hand in the fridge. I am looking forward to making more of your recipes.
This is my FAVORITE vegetable soup 🙌!!!
awesome!
We already had everything on hand for this so it was fast to whip up. _ Well aside from the white pepper, must add that to my pantry list!
It’s a bit overcast today so this soup was perfect! My BF said it was reminiscent of Hot & Sour soup. Will be making again for sure! Thanks Richa!
awesome!