Moroccan Spiced Chick Pea Soup

Ingredients:

¼ c extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion – diced

8 cloves garlic – pressed

2 stalks celery – diced

2 carrots – diced

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1 heaping tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp curry powder

½ tsp ground ginger

2-3 sprigs fresh thyme

2/3 c cilantro – chopped

1 14.5 oz can chopped tomatoes

4 c chicken broth / veg broth

3 15 oz cans chickpeas – drained and rinsed well

1 tsp sugar

Salt & pepper

1 5 oz package pre-washed baby spinach

Juice of ½ a lemon

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, carrots, celery and sauté until onion begins to turn translucent. Add in all dry spices. Sauté a minute or so. Add tomatoes, broth, chickpeas, thyme and sugar. Season with a couple pinches of salt and about 10 grinds of fresh pepper. Stir well. Chickpeas should be just covered with liquid. Add a little bit more broth until the chickpeas are covered. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to low and gently simmer for 45 minutes.

Use a potato masher to mash up some of the chickpeas right in the pot. Stir in the spinach and let heat through until wilted, just a couple minutes. Add lemon juice and cilantro. Fish out thyme sprigs, all the thyme leaves should have fallen into the soup by now. Season again, to taste, with salt and pepper.