Chickpea and Corn Soup
Sopa de Garbanzo y EloteFor a number of years I rented villas in Puerto Vallarta and led winter cooking trips to the area. I supplied a number of recipes for the group to prepare, but we always experimented and came up with new ideas. We went to the public market to purchase ingredients, and the participants cooked in teams to prepare a complete meal. This soup was created during one of those culinary holidays.Maggi seasoning extract is a flavor enhancer and is found in most supermarkets. Our in-house cook showed us how to prepare Baked Fish Fillets with Almonds to pair with the soup.
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
- ½ medium white onion finely chopped
- 3 medium garlic cloves finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano Mexican variety preferred, crumbled
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 medium tomatoes peeled and finely chopped
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn kernels from about 1 large ear of corn
- 4 cups chicken broth canned or homemade
- ½ teaspoon Maggi seasoning extract or Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 avocado Hass variety preferred, peeled and diced
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
- Cook the onion until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic, oregano, cumin, thyme, and tomatoes.
- Cook, stirring, until the tomato juices reduce and the mixture is nearly dry, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the chickpeas, corn, broth, Maggi, salt, and red pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the corn is tender and the flavors blend, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Divide among 4 soup bowls.
- Top each serving with avocado and cilantro.
Notes & Wine Advice
Serve hot with lime wedges.