Moroccan Style Chick Pea Soup

Everyone seems to assume that because I currently live in Florida that it's all sunshine and warm weather for us all winter. While I can't say we never experience that combination, in the panhandle, there's plenty of cold and dreary to go around. It seems we go through little phases of the not so nice weather. The difference between here and real winter up north is that we get a lot more breaks of beautiful weather through the winter.

It seems like we've been going through one of those not so nice phases. While two days ago was a stunningly beautiful day, today and many of the other days in the last two weeks have been cold and/or dreary. And you know what cold and dreary means? Soup! Lots and lot of soup!

This soup is wonderful for a couple of reasons. The first is that it can easily be made in less than half an hour. Another reason I like it is since there is no meat in it, I can make it spur of the moment on those evenings when I've forgotten to thaw out something for dinner. The last really great thing about it is the taste. Those Moroccan spices with the cinnamon and cumin really make this a warming soup. Yum!

Moroccan Style Chick Pea Soup
Yield: 4 servings

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp cumin powder
1/8 tsp cayenne powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
4 cups vegetable broth (I like Knorr vegetable broth cubes)
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
2 15-oz cans chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp sugar
2 cups fresh spinach

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat in a 6 quart or larger pot. Cook until onions are soft and slightly browned. Add the spices and stir to mix. Add the broth, stirring to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes, chick peas, and sugar. Let cook 15-20 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and add the spinach, stirring to wilt it. Serve immediately.