Description

Flavorful, healthy, and comforting, this Chickpea Mushroom Shawarma Soup is packed with wholesome veggies and aromatic shawarma spices.

Ingredients

Scale

Base Ingredients:

1 cup yellow onions, fine dice
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
2 celery ribs. diced
2 medium carrots, diced
8 oz. whole mushrooms (of choice), cut in half *
2 ½ cups water
1 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth *
1 – [ 14 oz. can ] petite diced tomatoes
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari *
1 – [ 15 oz. can ] chickpeas, drained and rinsed *
2 cups red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes *
¼ teaspoon baking soda *

Spice/Herb Ingredients:

1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoons dried minced onions
1 teaspoon sweet paprika (+/-)
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika (+/-)
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin (+/-)
1 teaspoon regular chili powder (+/-)
1/8 teaspoon turmeric (+/-)
¼ teaspoon coriander (+/-)
¼ teaspoon cinnamon (+/-)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper (+/-) (optional) *

Other Ingredients:

4 cups baby spinach (or kale) *

Optional Toppings:

Freshly chopped cilantro (or parsley)

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Instructions

Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients (except the cayenne pepper and bay leaf) into a small bowl, mix well. Set aside.
Add all the Base Ingredients and the Spice/Herb Mix into the Instant Pot. Stir well to combine all the ingredients, tuck in the bay leaf. Set the Instant Pot to Manual Pressure High for 10 minutes. When finished, press Cancel and allow to sit for 2 minutes, then do a Quick Release. Unplug the Instant Pot.
Once all the pressure is released, carefully remove the lid. Remove and discard the bay leaves.Stir in the cayenne pepper and baby spinach and allow to sit for 2 more minutes. Serve and enjoy.

Stove Top Instructions

Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients (except the bay leaf and cayenne pepper) in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
Add all the Base Ingredients and Spice/Herb Mix, stir well to combine, then tuck the bay leaves into the mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes, carrots and celery are tender, stirring occasionally.
Once the potatoes, carrots and celery are tender, remove and discard the bay leaves. Stir in the cayenne pepper and baby spinach and allow to sit for 2 more minutes. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

*Tips for Success:

Spices: We recommend adding the spices as listed, then ramping up any favorite spices at the end.
Cinnamon: We had family members who are not fans of cinnamon in soups. Other family members absolutely loved the cinnamon. You can leave it out. Or if unsure, start out with a smaller amount and add more if you find you enjoy it.
Allspice and Ginger: We were not fans of adding allspice and ginger to this soup; however, if you are big fans of these spices, feel free to add them at the end. We did not add them to the list of Spices/Herb Ingredients as we did not add them in our final kitchen test.
Cayenne Pepper: We recommend adding the cayenne pepper at the end in order to get a good base flavor.
Sautéing the Veggies: You can take the time to sauté the veggies and mushrooms if you wish. We tried this recipe both with and without sautéing the vegetables and mushrooms and noticed only a tiny bit of discernable flavor difference, so we elected to throw everything into the pot to make it easier.
Baby Spinach/Kale: Spinach/Kale is a natural spice neutralizer, so we highly recommend adding at the very end to avoid mellowing out the spices too much.

*Notes Continued:

*Mushrooms: We used white button mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, and Baby Bella mushrooms. All work equally well. Feel free to use your favorite mushrooms. If you are not a mushroom fan, you can leave them out and add some extra potatoes. Additionally, we purchased whole mushrooms, then sliced them in half to add a meatier texture. You can also leave them whole or used sliced mushrooms.

*Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.

*Tamari: We used San J Tamari Soy Sauce, Gluten Free, Reduced Sodium. You can substitute the tamari with reduced sodium soy sauce, Braggs Liquid Aminos, or Braggs Coconut Liquid Aminos.

*Baking Soda: Baking soda is often used as a neutralizer for dishes that contain a lot of acidity, typically from tomatoes. We use it in this dish to remove some of the tomato acidity (from the petite diced tomatoes and tomato paste) without losing the tomatoey flavor. When you add it, the mixture will bubble up, then settle down as it neutralizes the acidity.

*Beans: You can use your favorite bean in this dish. We used chickpeas and really enjoyed them in this soup.

*Potatoes: We used red skinned potatoes. Please feel free to use your favorite potato of choice.

*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Makes: 4 to 5 servings (makes approximately 10 cups)

*Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 to 5 days