Chickpea and Spinach Soup

I seem to be all about soup these days. But I couldn't resist adding to the soup recipes here with this one, one of the best I've had, I must say, despite how simple it is to make. I made it last weekend, when I had a friend visiting. She'd been feeling poorly and I didn't expect her to eat dinner, but the smells from the kitchen perked her right up. Soup, and a piece of homemade bread dunked in olive oil, are guaranteed cures for whatever ails you.

There were two bowls leftover, which we had when we returned from Paris. Even better three days later, this time with fresh baked foccacia.

Chickpea and Spinach Soup

1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 potato, cubed (approximately 1/2 inch pieces)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can chickpeas
1 or 2 tomatoes, diced (or 1 cup canned chopped tomato)
about 4 cups vegetable stock
about a cup of spinach, loosely chopped
handful of basil, snipped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste

Heat oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Add onion and fry for 5 minutes, until it begins to soften. Add smoked paprika and garlic, stir to combine.

Add the potato, chickpeas, and tomato. Pour in the vegetable stock. (You may need to add more later, or add more water as it boils away.) Simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, until potatoes are done. Add spinach, basil, black pepper, and salt. Cook until the spinach is wilted.

Serve with more snipped basil.

Notes on ingredients: Smoked paprika is increasingly available in supermarkets these days. It's worth trying to find it, for this and many recipes. Snipped basil means snipping it with scissors, the best way to chop many herbs. (You do have a pair of kitchen shears, right?)