African Coconut Curried Chickpea Soup

I loved this soup.  It was rich and creamy with a kick. Hubby wasn't in love with the chickpeas, but he would have been 100% sold if I had added some shredded chicken.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (I left this out.)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk

3/4 cup brown rice, cooked

2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. In medium stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and chili; cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add garlic and cook stirring constantly, 1 minute.

3. Add the broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, curry powder, salt, and black pepper.  Bring to a boil over high heat.

4. Reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

5. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve warm.