Soup!

I’ve been experimenting with barbeque sauces lately, trying to find a perfect signature homemade formula (thus far, my “secret ingredient” is apricot jam. YUM.) Lots of sauce translates to lots of leftover barbeque chicken and tofu, which I am loathe to waste. I came up with this soup recipe as a way to use up chicken dinner leftovers (BBQ chicken, roasted sweet potatoes and sauteed kale) and was shocked to discover that curry and barbeque really complement each other. It was too good not to share, and obviously the possibilities are endless. I can see this with coconut milk and some roasted cashews. Omit the chicken and the sprinkle of parmesan and this is vegan and gluten free.

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 medium diced onion

3 chopped garlic cloves

3 chopped carrots

1 can of chick peas

A few cups of vegetable or chicken stock

1 leftover cubed roasted sweet potato (roasted with olive oil, cumin, curry powder, and a tiny little bit of cinnamon)

Leftover kale (about half a bundle sauteed with onion, garlic, honey, vinegar, nutmeg, salt and pepper)

Leftover shredded BBQ-baked chicken breast

Cumin

Curry powder

Sprinkle of fresh parmesan

Sriracha or Cholula hot sauce to taste

Directions

Heat olive oil in medium saucepan, add onions and sautee until translucent and soft. Add garlic, carrots, and a little salt. Let the carrots soften a bit. Toss in can of chick peas. I like to mash them a bit at this point so that the finished soup is thicker. Once the chick peas have a little color on them, add the stock and all of your leftovers. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes to marry flavors, then test spice level. I added some additional cumin and curry powder. Top with hot sauce and parmesan. I didn’t even need a slice of crusty bread with this – it was so hearty – but that couldn’t hurt!