Easy Weeknight Dinner

What a week this past week has been! Last weekend was the celebration of my grandparents' 70th wedding anniversary. Yup, you read that right. 70 years. Crazy, isn't it? When my grandmother told her hairdresser the occasion for the party, her hairdresser replied, "Where did you go for your honeymoon? Summer camp?!"

I spent a few days in Baltimore, soaking up the time with family members and friends I haven't seen in years. It was wonderful and did my soul good. As if things could get any better, the following weekend was the wedding of my friends Summer and Steve. Since I was already on the east coast, it was all too convenient to scoot down to North Carolina for some more celebrating.

The wedding was beautiful, and there's just something about being with old friends that makes any activity more fun. Dancing, chatting, and a little wine time added on to the soul food that Baltimore had already fed it. It was not an easy thing to leave those ladies!

The trip back took a few hours longer than expected thanks to a broken airplane door. Since those things are sort of important, I was ok with switching out the planes. But it meant an arrival time of 2am PDT, leaving me a little lacking in the energy department today.

The original recipe for this soup calls for all fresh ingredients, but since my refrigerator is a little lonely right night, I filled in with frozen veggies. It's simple to put together and would do well with several other combinations of greens, vegetables, and grains. The unique spice combo (my friend, Amy, knows that I can't miss a chance to throw in some cumin) plays up the spice factor and tempers well with the coconut milk. I'll definitely be making many more versions of this soup!

Step 1

Step 2

Ta da!

Curried Coconut and Chickpea Soup
Adapted from Epicurious


1 tablespoon canola oil
1.5 tsp red pepper flakes
1 medium onion, chopped
1.5 cup mixed frozen veggies
2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon garam masala
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup of diced tomatoes, with juice
1.5 cups of cooked chickpeas
freshly ground pepper
1 can light coconut milk
1 cup cooked barley (or other cooked grain of your choice)
1 cup peas

Heat the canola oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the pepper flakes, onions, and bell peppers and sauté over medium high until they begin to soften, about five minutes. Add the cumin, turmeric, coriander, and garam masala, along with the garlic, and sauté another minute, stirring very often.

Stir in the broth, tomatoes, chickpeas, salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently, partially covered, for about thirty minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the coconut milk and barley. Simmer for ten more minutes, then increase the heat to medium and add the peas. After all of the ingredients have been incorporated, salt the soup to taste and serve hot. Serves four.