Chickpeas & Rice

One of my favorite places to grab a quick and healthy bite to eat is a cute little restaurant called The Juice Room. It's a very simple menu of made to order items, including juices, smoothies, soups, and sandwiches. It's fantastic! There are many restaurants offering meals on the go, but few of them offer healthy, vegan-friendly options. I love The Juice Room because I can order a soup and a smoothie and feel completely satisfied while knowing my meal was 100% nutritious.

I few months ago, a friend of mine stopped by there and had the most amazing soup. Her soup eating experience was documented in a series of text messages to me, most of which were about fifty "licking-the-lips" emojis combined with "OMG THIS SOUP!". I knew I had to get over there and try it. I stopped over the very next day, and sure enough, OMG THIS SOUP! It really was incredible. Creamy, yet made without dairy. Delicious in a way that you might describe Thanksgiving dinner. And filling, so damn filling! Chickpeas, rice, and vegetables -- oh my!

My friend immediately took to the internet and searched for a recipe that most closely resembled what we ate. She sent me a recipe from Isa Chandra, and we both went home to cook. ​It's just as good, if not better, than the soup we ate at The Juice Room. I've since adapted the recipe by including a few additional ingredients and also making it in a crock pot instead of on the stove. I found that when made in a crock pot, the soup becomes even creamier and more delicious.

​Happy cooking! :)

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INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup cashews, soaked in water for 2 hours or overnight
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ribs celery, thinly sliced
• 16 ounces of cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 cup carrots, diced chunky
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1-2 teaspoon salt
• Fresh black pepper
• 1 cup rice
• 1 cup dried red lentils
• 36 ounces canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed 
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 4 cups chopped kale or spinach
• Thinly sliced green onion, for garnish (optional)

PREPARATION

• Drain the cashews and place them in a food processor or blender with one cup of fresh water. Blend until completely smooth, scraping the sides of the food processor with a spatula occasionally to make sure you get everything. This could take 1 to 5 minutes depending on the strength of your food processor. 
• In a large pan over medium heat, sauté onion in olive oil with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic, celery, carrots, mushrooms and cook until vegetables are tender. Add rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and cook for one minute more. 
• In your crock pot, combine chickpeas, rice, lentils, cashew blend, and vegetables. Add broth after all ingredients (except for spinach or kale) have been placed in the crock pot. 
• If possible, cook on high for first 2 hours, then switch to low for another 5 hours. Otherwise, cook on low for at least 8 hours (it's ok if it cooks longer than 8 hours).
• ​Add spinach or kale during the last ten minutes of cooking. Adjust seasoning to your liking. Serve topped with green onions.
• It thickens as it cools, so if you have leftovers, feel welcome to thin with a little water when you reheat.​