The air conditioning at work is broken, and it is FREAKIN’ HOT on the ninth floor, in the southwest corner at 4 in the afternoon. Everyone’s walking around the office with their sleeves rolled up, unless they were smart enough to wear a t-shirt today, which I was not. So it’s hot and I’m reminded of our current favourite dish that you should all make and then report back to me how awesome it was. Not because it’s spicy hot, necessarily. But seriously, it’s really awesome and makes your kitchen smell orgasm-inducing good and you’ll want to eat it at least once a week. I first saw it on the Food Network on a show called “Good Deal with Cute Dave“. If you have fresh spinach growing this time of year, it will be especially amazing. Oh, and it’s super-cheap to make, too. So JUST DO IT.

Cute Dave’s Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Soup

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish (if you want)
1 large onion, medium diced (I use a white Spanish onion)
6 to 8 cloves of garlic, pressed (use 8…they’re good for your immune system)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 heaping teaspoon sweet paprika
1 (14.5 oz.) can chopped tomatoes (I’ve never been able to find a can this size, maybe it’s an American thing, so I use a regular can of diced tomatoes, usually No Name brand from Loblaws, juice included)
3 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed well (see above note re: can size, I buy whatever No Name size from Loblaws)
1 quart vegetable or reduced-sodium chicken broth (I buy the 900 mL size, this is about a quart)
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (5 oz.) package pre-washed baby spinach (see note above re: fresh garden spinach)

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until onions start to cook. Add spices and saute a minute or so. Try not to touch yourself as the incredible smell fills your kitchen. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, broth and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well. Dave says that the chickpeas should be “just covered” but I like this soupier and the can sizes here mean it will be. Bring pot to a simmer and gently simmer for 45 minutes.

Remove from heat. Use a potato masher to smush up some of the chickpeas “right in the pot”. Stir in the spinach until just wilted. Serve drizzled with olive oil if you like that kind of thing. e-mail me or comment here to tell me how much you liked it.

Mmmmmm.

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