African Curried Coconut Soup with Chickpeas

adapted from Epicurious

Don't be scared of the name. This soup/curry concoction is so flavorful and tasty- even a 1-year-old enjoyed it ...and hardly threw any of it on the floor.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1-2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups low-sodium broth
1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1-2 cups chopped tomatoes, seeded & peeled, fresh or canned (I used canned)
1 tsp. mild curry powder
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup water
1 cup couscous
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk (I only had regular on hand, so I used 3/4 of the can)
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Directions

1. In a medium stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and chili; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add the broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, curry powder, coriander, and cayenne pepper; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

2. While simmering soup, in a small pot, boil 1 cup of water. When water is boiling, add 1 cup of couscous, remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and add to soup mixture with coconut milk and cilantro, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Variations: Black-eyed peas can replace the chickpeas, if desired. Use 1 cup cooked brown rice instead of couscous, or, for a lighter soup, the rice can be omitted.

The following day it was much thicker, we didn't mind, but it could have been easily thinned out a bit by adding more broth.

Serves 4