Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Soup and Chilled Cucumber Salad

Today was a wet, rainy mess. It has been in the low 60's most of the day, and it has rained nonstop and often in sheets. My hubby came home from work and told me that he had to turn on his little space heater at his desk. It seemed like a good night to make soup!

I was craving something brothy, and I just love Moroccan flavors, so I was psyched when I flipped through 1,000 Vegan Recipes and saw an easy recipe for Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Soup. I just had to do a quick saute of some base veggies (onion, carrots, garlic, ginger) and spices (turmeric, cumin), add in some veggie broth, brown lentils, chickpeas, and crushed tomatoes, and let that baby simmer for an hour. I added in some frozen green beans, fresh baby spinach, and lemon juice at the very end. The recipe also calls for 1 to 2 teaspoons of Harissa, but I didn't want to make the soup too spicy for my son (or me), so my hubby just stirred a little Cholula hot sauce into his bowl.

I wanted something raw on the side to go with the soup. I had some beautiful English cucumbers in my crisper, so I flipped to the salad section of 1,000 Vegan Recipes and made the Chilled Cucumber Salad. Peeled and thinly sliced English cucumbers are tossed with minced scallions, fresh lemon juice, fresh minced parsley, olive oil, salt, and a drop of agave nectar. It was the perfect cool accompaniment to the hot soup.

Not bad for a soup and salad night! Best of all, my son ate his entire bowl, and that makes this Mommy very happy!