I am head over heels for both of these dishes. Bonus: they're both gluten-free, made with everyday pantry stapes, and can be made without dairy (just leave out the cheese in the egg dish -- the soup is already dairy-free).
Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas
1/4 c. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded, finely chopped
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, juices reserved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup coarsely crumbled feta (optional)
eggs
fresh cilantro
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapenos; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Add chickpeas, paprika, and cumin and cook for 2 minutes longer.
2. Add crushed tomatoes and then their juices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. If eating immediately: poach 1-2 eggs per person (90-120 seconds in boiling water). Serve with chickpeas and tomato mixture, plus feta and chopped cilantro if desired. (Or, for a large group, follow
the original instructions for poaching the entire dish in the oven.)
4. Tomatoes and chickpeas can be refrigerated or frozen in individual servings, then easily warmed and served with freshly poached eggs.
It's hearty without being heavy ... perfect for breakfast or a quick dinner after work (all you need to do is boil water, poach some eggs and warm up the tomatoes and chickpeas).
Split Pea Soup with Curried Brown Butter
5 tbsp. butter (divided)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
5 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups green split peas or green lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 tbsp. curry powder
1/2 cup coconut milk
sea salt
cauliflower (optional)
1. Combine 2 tablespoons butter, plus the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes, in a large soup pot over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the onions soften (a couple minutes).
2. Add the chicken or vegetable broth and peas or lentils and simmer, covered, until tender. (Anywhere from 20-50 minutes).
3. In the meantime, warm the 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and let it brown. When it starts to smell nutty and fragrant, stir in the curry powder and saute until the spices are fragrant, less than a minute.
4. When the lentils/peas are finished cooking, remove from the heat and stir in the coconut milk.
5. Puree in batches in a blender, then stir in the spiced butter and salt to taste.
6. If you like cauliflower, add a half-cup of roasted cauliflower to each bowl.
It's a little bit spicy and oh-so delicious. I added the cauliflower on a whim after eating it plain a few times, and it might be good with other vegetables as well (Heidi of 101 Cookbooks recommends small cubes of pan-fried paneer, too).
