Spicy Chickpea Soup

This warming soup combines mildly sweet golden beets with cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes. Flavors of roasted garlic and onion dance on your tongue, while dandelion greens pack the nutritious punch of vitamins A and C.

Ingredients

• 1

  six ounce package pearl couscous

• 1

  bunch dandelion greens, coarsely chopped

• 1

  medium Spanish onion, chopped

• 2

  medium sized golden beets, peeled and chopped

• 4

  cloves garlic, quartered

• 1 1/2 teaspoons

  cumin

• 1 teaspoon

  paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon

  red pepper flakes

• 1 teaspoon

  salt

• 1 teaspoon

  freshly cracked black pepper

• 2 tablespoons

  extra virgin olive oil

• 4 cups

  vegetable stock

• 15 ounce can

  chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cook couscous in a large pot according to package directions. Boil chopped dandelion greens in a medium sized pot for three minutes, then drain and set aside.

Combine onion, beets, garlic, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper and extra virgin olive oil on a baking sheet, tossing to coat.

Roast in preheated oven for twenty minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add vegetable stock, roasted beets, onions and garlic to pot with cooked couscous. Gently stir in chickpeas and dandelion greens, simmering until warm enough to eat.