Lately I've been really enjoying having soup for lunch; it's warming, nutritious and so delicious, making it the perfect mid-day meal. But with more soup means I've also been enjoying a little too much garlic bread, I love the crunchy, garlicky flavour combined with a hot bowl of creamy soup. So I thought about what else I could serve with it and remembered that time I made sweet chili chickpeas as a snack. Chickpeas are the perfect substitute for a crouton, they absorb any flavour you put on them, as well as being super crunchy and full of protein & fibre that will help to keep you fuller for longer!
I coated the chickpeas in a little extra virgin olive oil, garlic and onion powder, nutritional yeast, parsley and a pinch of salt and then baked until they were dried out and crunchy like croutons. They compliment the creamy broccoli flavour of the soup so well and add that desired crunch to the soup! In fact, the croutons were so great I almost ate all of them as an afternoon snack whilst writing up some more of my dissertation.
This broccoli soup tastes absolutely incredible, with vibrant flavours from the broccoli, leeks and kale and a creaminess from the potato and nutritional yeast. And no surprise here; it's also really good for you! This soup is packed with vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese and B vitamins, from both the veggies and nutritional yeast. The croutons also deliver protein, fibre, iron, magnesium and a whole range of nutrients.
So, not only is this soup a great lunch because it tastes amazing, but it will fuel you through the afternoon and leave you feeling great too! The croutons will get softer as they sit in the soup, so if you're planning on serving later, leave the chickpeas to cool fully, then store in a air-tight container to maintain crunchiness!
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Broccoli Soup & Garlic Chickpea Croutons | Serves: 4 | Time: 45 mins
You'll need
- Baking tray
- Grease-proof paper
- Large saucepan
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Blender
- Clean tea towel/kitchen paper
- Sieve/colander
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
Broccoli soup:- 1 leek
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 medium potato
- 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon
- 2 tsp dried Italian herbs
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 large head broccoli
- 1 cup kale or leafy greens
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- Pinch salt
- Black pepper
- ~2L water
- 2 tins chickpeas
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp salt
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 220°C and line a baking tray with grease-proof paper. Drain two cans of chickpeas and then pat them dry with a clean tea towel. Transfer to a bowl, then mix with a splash of olive oil, 2 tsp nutritional yeast, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp dried parsley and 1/4 tsp salt. Spread out on the baking tray and cook for 30-35 minutes or until crispy, remove every 10 minutes to mix up the chickpeas, so they dry out evenly and do not burn.
- Meanwhile, remove the ends of the leek, slice in half, chop into pieces then wash in a sieve to remove any dirt. Add to the pan and fry with a splash of olive oil, then crush in the garlic, add a roughly chopped potato, bouillon, herbs, cider vinegar and cover with water. Bring to the boil, boil for 5 minutes, then roughly chop the broccoli and kale and add this to the pan, then top up with water. Simmer for a further 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and adjust seasoning, then stir in the nutritional yeast and blend. Serve the soup up in four bowls, with a handful of crispy croutons on top. As the croutons sit in the soup they will go soft, so serve the rest of the croutons up at the table, and add more as you eat your soup. Enjoy!
Cassidy xx
