This soup has very exciting flavor combinations! The saffron taste from the rich tomato soup goes very well together with the fluffy and lemony chickpea and cream cheese cream. I also like how the dish gives me associations to saffron buns and cheesecake 🙂 (The recipe is inspired from the book “Smaker från Saltå Kvarn” by Åsa Swanberg.)

Serves 4-5

Saffron-flavored chickpea soup

400 g cooked chickpeas (drained weight)
1 dl dried red lentils, rinsed
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
500 g crushed tomatoes
5 dl water
1 g saffron
0.5 tsp herb salt
0.5 tsp ground black pepper
Oil for frying

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion for one minute. Add the garlic and fry for another minute. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve the soup with a large dollop of lemon-flavored cream cheese and chickpea cream (recipe below).

Lemon-flavored cream cheese and chickpea cream

230 g cooked chickpeas (drained weight)
200 g cream cheese
1 garlic clove, crushed
Zest from one lemon
0.5 tsp herb salt
1 pinch of ground black pepper

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth and fluffy.