From Your Bariatric Nutrition Team

Got home late from work on a cold night? Need a quick, warm easy meal to prepare? This one pot soup is easy to make and so is the clean-up.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp rosemary
• 1 14.5-ounce can of rinsed, drained chickpeas
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, un-drained (use fire roasted if you can find them)
• 4 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken stock or broth
• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach (or a box of thawed frozen spinach)
• Coarse salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add the onion, garlic, celery, and rosemary. Saute for a few minutes until the vegetables begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes making sure it does not burn.
3. Add chickpeas, smoked paprika, bay leaves, and canned tomatoes to the pot and bring to a gentle boil.
4. Add the broth or stock and return to a boil. Lower the heat.
5. Discard the bay leaves. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup slightly trying to keep some of the vegetables and beans whole.
6. Add the spinach and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 more minutes.

*To bump up the nutrition value even more, add some diced zucchini or cauliflower.

Tip: If you don’t have a lot of time, buy pre-chopped vegetables or dice in advance and store them in the freezer so they’ll be ready whenever you need them.