Potato Leek Soup with Crispy Chickpeas

Ingredients:

1 15 - ounce can chickpeas, drained

½ tablespoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 medium leeks, halved, cleaned, and sliced*

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 russet potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks

4 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon white miso

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

For the crispy chickpeas:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit.

Dry off the drained chickpeas by laying them out on a kitchen towel. Try to get them as dry as possible. This will help them get crispy in the oven. 

Once the chickpeas are dried off, place them on a sheet pan with olive oil and smoked paprika. Mix them in the sheet pan until all chickpeas are covered with the seasoning. 

Place in the oven  for  30-40 minutes or until chickpeas are completely crispy. It may take longer depending on your oven. 

For the soup:

Cook the leeks and garlic  in a large pot over medium high heat. Add salt and pepper at this time. Cook until the leeks are slightly translucent, about 5-10 minutes. 

Next, add the potatoes and vegetable broth. If the broth does fully cover the potatoes, add some hot water just until they are covered. Bring to a boil and cover until the potatoes are fully cooked. About 15-20 minutes. 

Once the potatoes are cooked, add the miso. Stir until the miso is completely dissolved. Next, transfer the potato mixture to a blender or use an immersion blender. Blend until completely smooth. 

Serve immediately with crispy chickpeas sprinkled on top! 

Notes:

*To prepare the leeks, cut off the dark green part, slice in half the long ways and clean out all of the dirt and grime between each layer. Then cut as written in the recipe. You can save the dark green part to use for homemade vegetable stock!