CREAMY TOMATO SOUP with PASTA and CHICKPEAS

Creamy Tomato Soup w/Chickpeas and Pasta

A healthy plant-based version of a comfort food, with a twist, from my childhood. An easy-to-toss together hearty tomato soup. This creamy soup is a staple in our house, we never get tired of it…make it your own by swapping out various beans and different pasta. To make another variety, substitute pasta with par-boiled brown rice. Add your favorite leafy greens to make it a super soup.

CREAMY TOMATO SOUP w/Chickpeas and Pasta
CREAMY TOMATO SOUP w/Chickpeas and Pasta: A lunch favorite filled with wonderful plant-based nutrients. So quick to make and yummy to eat.

Serves: 6 ll Prep Time: 20 minutes ll Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 small onions, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 (28 1/2-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, lo sodium
I (14 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), lo sodium, include brine
1 cup non-dairy milk
1 -2 cup vegetable stock, lo sodium
1 teaspoon salt-substitute such as Mrs. Dash’s Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cups whole wheat pasta noodles (elbow, penne, or your choice)
Leafy greens, torn into small pieces
Garnish: Sliced Almonds
Optional: 1 teaspoon unrefined sugar
Optional: 1 cup of par-boiled brown rice as a substitute for pasta

Directions:
Sautéing vegetables: In a medium soup pot, sauté diced onions and celery in a small amount of water or vegetable broth for 5 – 10 minutes or until onions are translucent.

Cooking soup:  In the soup pot, combine remaining ingredients, except pasta and greens. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower heat, add pasta, cook for about an additional 10 minutes or until al dente. During the last few minutes, toss in leafy greens. Serve hot.

ENJOY THIS DELICIOUS PLANT-BASED TOMATO SOUP -WE DO!!

CoachBJ’s Quick Tips: How to use and where to get AQUAFABA

HUMMUS

Simply put Aquafaba is bean brine. As a whole foods, plant-based food coach and cook, using aquafaba has been a great option for replacing ingredients such as eggs, oil and butter found in the standard American diet. My choice is to use organic low-sodium brine from canned chick peas (garbanzo beans) to maintain consistency in ingredients as a control while developing my recipes. Additionally the clearer color brine will not taint the outcome. On the other hand, I hear that other bean brine can be used from canned or cooked beans but I’m sticking to chick peas for now.

Aquafaba has been used by cooks in the last few years to enhance baked vegan goods but can be used by any baker who wants to cook healthier foods…who doesn’t wants to eat beauty health desserts. It is a useful ingredient for leavening and binding. Particularly wonderful for making cakes with beautiful crumb and a higher lift. Of course I use it in concert with many other leavening and binding ingredients. I started using aquafaba years ago and use it in my own recipes.

You can store aquafaba in the refrigerator for about one week and it also freezes well. Since we always have canned chick peas around, we always have aquafaba around – it’s a 2 for 1. Just save off the aquafaba from the canned chick peas. It’s so easy to find healthy foods to cook with the chick peas such as hummus, roasted for crunchy snacking, include in salads, use in soups and so many other ethnic dishes. We love chick peas and use the brine for aquafaba!

ENJOY THE TIPS!