Chickpea, spinach and roasted vegetable soup

This soup has a nice hint of heat from the cayenne pepper, but mostly it's got that mellow warmth from the roasted vegetables and a tasty turkey broth. Just the thing for an allegedly spring day where there's a windchill. It only looks nice out there. But on the plus side, there's actual natural light in the kitchen for fleeting moments at a time.

Chickpea, spinach and roasted vegetable soup

Loosely inspired by this recipe in the April 2016 Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

1 zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise and then in ¼-inch slices

1 carrot, peeled, slice in half lengthwise and the in ¼-inch slices

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

¾ cup cherry or grape tomatoes

2 tablespoon olive oil, divided

1 large garlic clove, minced

1½ cups cooked chickpeas

Cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves

4 cups broth

1 tablespoon lemon juice

5 ounces fresh spinach leaves

Parmesan cheese for garnish

Method

In a roasting pan, toss together zucchini, carrot, onion, tomatoes and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Roast at 375 for 30 to 40 minutes until vegetables and tender and browned. Mush about a third of the vegetables with the back of a spoon.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook garlic until aromatic. Add chickpeas, a generous pinch of cayenne pepper and the thyme. Cook for a few minutes to toast chickpeas. Add broth, roasted vegetable mixture, juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add spinach in handfuls to wilt. Simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.