Carrot Soup with Crunchy Chickpeas and Tahini Recipe

Have you ever had a ton of carrots and wondered what delicious foods you can make with them? Wonder no more. I bought close to 10 pounds of carrots when I saw them at a ridiculously low price, and then I was wondering what to do with them.

This carrot soup recipe was the perfect solution for using up large quantities of carrots, didn't require buying other veggies that I may or may not have had in the house (because it was carrots that were on sale, not other stuff), and didn't require any expensive ingredients.

I have another terrific carrot soup I like to make, but it's chilled, calls for orange juice, etc... and orange juice/oranges isn't something I always have on stock in my house, but all the ingredients for this recipe are things I keep on stock in my house and aren't expensive ingredients. And I wanted a hot soup- I like cold soups in the summer, but in the winter, I like thicker, heartier soups....

This soup was a hit in my house- hope everyone likes it as much as my family did! I based it on this recipe, but made changes to make it perfect for my tastes.

It is perfect for many diets, including grain free, vegan, gluten free, paleo, etc... in addition to being super frugal! And yes, carrots are one of the cheapest veggies you can get in the winter, so hurry up and make some today!
(Yes, it is a few steps to make it- but it's worth it, trust me on that!)


Ingredients:
For Soup
3 tablespoons oil (I used olive, but any oil should be fine. I'd stay away from animal fats like shmaltz or butter for this, because I think flavor-wise it might be too overpowering.)
6 cups chopped carrots, or 2 lbs
1 onion
5 cups water
6 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
For Crunchy Chickpeas
2 cups cooked chickpeas (you can use canned, but to make it cheaper, use dried and cook them yourself)
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon salt (any is fine)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
For Tahini 
Tahini paste
Lemon juice (to taste)
Water (as needed)
Salt (to taste)

Instructions:
1. To start off, you want to cook your chickpeas, so they can be roasting while you're making the rest of the soup. Toss your drained chickpeas with oil, salt, and cumin, and then place it on a baking tray in the oven, in a flat layer, at 450 degrees or so, for 10-20 minutes, mixing them every 5-10 minutes or so so they don't burn. Watch them carefully- better take them out when they're semi crunchy and not completely crunchy, instead of overcooking them and burning them. They're a nice topping even if they're not super crispy, but are even soft with a bit of crunch.

2. Chop up your carrots and onions and garlic.

3. Heat up your oil in a pot, then add the onions and garlic- saute until golden.

4. Add the carrots and cook for 5-10 minutes or until softening.

5. Add the water, bring to a boil, then simmer until the carrots are completely soft.

6. Blend up, either with an immersion blender or a food processor or regular blender.

7. Add coriander, cumin, and salt.

8. To make the tahini paste, I don't have an exact recipe, but... Take your tahini paste, and mix it with a tiny drop of water. Mix it very well. It'll thicken up a drop. Add some more water- but only a little, or it will separate, and it'll thicken up some more. Add more and more water, a drop at a time, until it starts thinning out. Add lemon juice and salt and more water to taste.

9. To serve your soup, ladle hot soup into the bowl, and garnish with a splash of tahini and the chickpeas.

Enjoy!

What is your favorite recipe to make with carrots, when you have a bunch of them to use up? Does this look like a recipe you'd enjoy? Are there any ingredients in this that you don't generally keep stock in your house?