Guys, the world seems to be going crazy. Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Wash your hands.
I’ll be honest, it’s been a little difficult for me to get this blog up and running. Not because of the tech-side. My husband has that covered. Half of me is just hoping for Ben to be miraculously healed of his allergies, and I’ll have nothing to blog about anymore. The other half of me is worried that my recipes aren’t good enough, or I won’t be adding anything to society by writing my Cuban American recipes. After all, you could find all kinds of recipes online.
But when I see that some American children might not have access to low cost nutritious foods because schools are closing, I realize that wow, yes, there might be something truly valuable here.
Let’s dive right in to this delicious, low cost, and extremely nutritious meal–Cuban garbanzo soup. It’s also gluten free, easily vegan, and like most of my recipes here, safe for my Ben-Ben and lots of folks who deal with allergies.
Garbanzos are chickpeas. This humble little bean is relegated to the salad bar in American cuisine, but it is a powerhouse of protein, vitamins, and minerals, and deserves a brighter spotlight.
This soup is really more of a stew, and is best served warm over rice, or even sauteed spinach.
You start with dried beans. A pound of dried beans makes enough food for 8 people, yet costs less than $3. Super budget friendly.
And don’t let the length of time scare you away from this recipe. You just leave it soaking overnight, and once you have it cooking it sits at a simmer from 2-3 hours. (Or you could instant pot it for less than 1 hour). You don’t have to stand there staring at it once you are sure it won’t burn.
I also added a $2.50 sausage to this for added protein and flavor. Obviously, if you’re vegetarian/vegan, you can omit this. You could also add a can of pumpkin or some chunky chopped squash–sneak in those veggies!
Coronavirus has you feeling isolated and without a sense of control? Great time to try a new recipe. Have your kids home for the foreseeable future? Teach them how to make this. They’ll have a nutritious and easy meal they could make for themselves in their #adulting years. #lifeskills
Another great thing about this soup? It freezes well, and is amazing when reheated. I think it’s even better as leftovers. Oh and those dried beans? Buy and store them in your pantry. They preserve well for a really long time.
We’re going to make it through this. And it’s going to be delicious.
Garbanzo Soup
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1 pound Garbanzo beans dry
- 8 cups Water
- 1 Tbsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tbsp Onion Powder
- ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
- ¼ tsp Cumin
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
For the Sofrito
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Cumin
- 8 oz Tomato Sauce
- 4 oz White Vinegar
Optional
- 1 Kielbasa or other sausage
Instructions
The Night Before
- Soak the beans for 10-12 hours in cold water. Make sure that there is enough water for the beans to swell. I use the same pot I'll cook the beans in.
12 Hours Later…
- Strain the beans, put them back in the pot, and add 8 cups of fresh, cold water.
- Add all of the spices and olive oil in the section "For the Soup" and stir it all up.
- Cover and bring the beans to a boil on high heat. Once boiling, drop to low heat. You want to leave the beans at a low simmer. Let simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours, until the beans are soft.
- Once the beans are soft, I take one cup of the beans with liquid and throw it in a blender. Blend until smooth then add it back into your pot of beans. This releases the natural starches in the beans and thickens the soup. (You could also just use a large spoon and squish some of the beans against the side of the pot. I have found that I prefer the blended beans.)
Sofrito
- Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add spices and stir.
- Once spices have browned (which happens quickly once the oil has been heated), add tomato sauce and stir. It will spit, so be careful.
- Once the tomato sauce starts bubbling again, add vinegar and stir.
- Dump the sofrito in the pot of beans. Add sausage, cut as you like. I cut mine into discs. This is also the time to add pumpkin or squash if you're so inclined.
- Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and add spices if necessary.
- Serve in a bowl over rice. Enjoy!
