Roasted Garbanzo Bean, Red Bell Pepper, Tomato and Basil Soup

You know that roasted garbanzo beans can be a delicious snack.  Season the beans with whatever you like. It can be salt, pepper, paprika, dried herbs or cinnamon and brown sugar. This time, I experimented and added garbanzo beans roasted with olive oil to my soup. Really delicious, I would say. 

Serves 4

Prep Time : 10 min Cook Time: 50 min

Ingredients

30 oz. (3 cups) cooked garbanzo beans
3 large tomato, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp. tomato past
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds, crashed
1 tsp. coriander seeds, crashed
1/2 tsp. red  pepper
3 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 tbsp. basil, chopped
2-3 cups vegetable stock or water
salt to taste

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Preheat oven to 425F.

If using canned garbanzo beans, drain and rinse them. Place garbanzo beans on a paper towel and let them dry completely. Remove any loose skins.

Place on a baking sheet, mix with 1 tbsp. olive oil and toss well to coat. For better result, put garbanzo beans in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes, toss well and flip, then roast for another 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, over medium heat, warm 2 tbsp. olive oil in a soup pan. Add garlic, onion and sauté for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add bell pepper and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add spices, tomato paste and cook  for 2 minutes, stirring. Add chopped tomatoes, reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 20 minutes, then add vegetable stock or water and cook for another 10 minutes. Add roasted garbanzo beans, let them boil in a soup for a couple minutes, then add chopped basil and remove the soup from the heat.

Sincerely......Nellie