“Oh, Francie,” you say, “all these recipes for chocolate-peanut butter this and sugar cookie that!  “My belt is too tight!”  Fear not, chickens.  After all, do you think Francie eats like this all the time?  Well, ok, a lot of the time, but I do like something healthy and delicious every now and then like normal folks.

Ergo, I present my recipe for a creamy, delicious, spicy, bright soup that will warm you head to toe, fill you with lots of energy (chickpeas are a great source of protein, dontcha know!) and best of all, all this fabulousness will cost only a couple bucks to boot!

Want to see that magic?  Here ya go.

Creamy Chickpea and Rosemary Soup

1 tablespoon of olive oil
5 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaf minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 (15-19 ounce) cans chickpeas rinsed & drained
4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
sea salt to taste
fresh group pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and add garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic starts to brown, about 1 minute. Add chickpeas and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes; let cool slightly. Transfer soup to a blender, cover loosely (hold that lid down with a kitchen towel…safety first, chickens!) and puree until just smooth. Or use an immersion blender if you have one of those magical toys.  Return to the saucepan and stir in lemon juice and sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve, garnished with a fresh rosemary sprig, or an additional drizzling of olive oil. If you’re wowing somebody, you can add a drizzle of Crème fraîche or heavy cream and do a little drizzle swirly art thing.

See?  I told you it was easy.  Have I ever lied to you?

And here’s a bonus:  this soup is also fantastic with cannellini beans. There ya go!  Two-for-one!