Greetings steemit foodies! What's up? I got my two days off and the sun is already out! Perfect start of my weekend. Though I have a few household chores listed that really need to be done, apart from that I have no plans but to relax.

Yeah for weekends. 2 full days of pure tropical bliss. Shall we go to the beach or for a hike in the national park?

Options. options, options.... but first things first, share one of my yummy recipes with you.

HEALTH TIP: WHY YOU SHOULDN'T BUY CANNED CHICKPEAS

Before I give you the recipe for this yummy red beet soup, I want to share some valuable info with you.

Many of us buy canned chickpeas because of the long soaking and cooking times. But did you know that you could soak and cook a big batch and freeze them for later use? CLICK HERE for more info (I also added a quick cooking method in case you forgot to soak the chickpeas overnight)

Canned chickpeas are a quick and easy alternative to using dried chickpeas, but they aren't as nutritious and they may come with some unwanted chemical exposure from the can itself or from preservatives and other additives added during the processing and canning steps.

Some of these lab-produced chemicals are harmless but others are known to mess with our hormones or cause chronic inflammation which over time can lead to a host of diseases, cancer included.

Is this the kind of food you want to feed yourself and your family. Yikes no? As I said above, soaking and cooking chickpeas are super easy but it takes time. Luckily, you can cook a whole batch and freeze them for later to save some of your precious time.

RED BEET SOUP WITH SPICED CHICKPEA CROUTONS

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CHICKPEA CROUTONS

1 cup cooked chickpeas (½ cup dried = 1.5 cup cooked = 1 15 oz can drained)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
Pinch of garam masala
Black pepper and sea salt to taste

FOR THE RED BEET SOUP

3 medium red beets, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 big onion, chopped
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 cup coconut milk
4 cups veggie stock
Black pepper and sea salt to taste
Fresh chopped parsley (cilantro works too but my hubby hates the flavor)

FYI: I cut big pieces of red beets if you cut them smaller or grate the beets you can reduce the cooking time by half.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 200C or 400F.
Add chickpeas and herbs to a baking sheet, drizzle with cooking oil and toss to coat. Roast for 20-25 minutes. Or until they are crisp and golden.
Meanwhile, saute onion, garlic and, ginger for 2-3 minutes. Then add the beets and cook for 4-5 minutes more before adding the veggie stock, coconut milk, salt, and pepper. Cook covered until beets are fork tender. Since I used big pieces it took about 30 minutes. Use small cubes or even grate your beet and you can bring the cooking time down to 15 minutes.
When the beets are cooked, blend the soup. Divide over bowls and top with the spiced chickpeas and fresh parsley!