Rosa’s Simple Creamy Tomato & Chickpea Soup

I love tomato soup, especially with a grilled cheese sandwich. It’s one of those comfort foods from my childhood that I’ve clung to right to this day. Campbell’s was always my favourite because it was so creamy, but when I discovered that I had Celiac Disease, I had to find another brand that didn’t use wheat as a thickener. For some reason, those other brands just never tasted as good and tomato soup just disappeared from our cupboards.

Today, I made a happy (accidental) discovery for my own tomato soup recipe and I just had to share. It began with me trying to get a jump start on supper. I was trying to figuring out what meals I can make with my crock pot so that I spend less time standing over a hot stove or sink full of dishes. I pulled out some left over chickpeas, a jar of our home-made tomato sauce and other miscellaneous items. I figured I’d whip it all together in the crock pot with some chicken and seasoning, then walk away for a few hours to see what happened.

I never got the ingredients from the blender to the crock pot. My husband isn’t fond of chickpeas. I love them. So, we have an agreement: if I can incorporate chickpeas into a dish without him being able to identify them … Well, okay. It’s not really an agreement so much as a personal challenge that I occasionally tackle …

But, I digress. Let’s just say that the blender results were so amazingly delicious, that I skipped the crock pot and enjoyed this yummy treat instead.

Note: Adding sugar to tomato sauce and soup reduces acidity.

To taste:

• Salt
• Pepper
• Sugar (optional)
• Cilantro (optional)