Just imagine coming home on a cold day to the aroma of curry wafting about the house from this Indian inspired soup.  It makes me want to take a deep breath, let it go and say, ” Ahhhhh….” The flavors are warm without being spicy; just enough to take your mind off the biting wind.  Add some bread with a crunchy crust like a baguette or a sour dough and this would be a complete meal, but I prefer to enjoy this by itself.  Originally, this recipe was vegetarian and had a shortcut: (omit the chicken) microwave all the ingredients through the garlic and then add everything to the slow cooker.   In the essence of time you could do this, however, I feel it is important to bring out the aromatics in the curry and blossom the flavors in the onion and garlic in a pan prior, otherwise you would miss out on that flavor profile in the final outcome.

Ingredients:

•   2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
•   2 boneless skinless chicken breasts- cut into 1/2 inch pieces
•   1/8 teaspoons salt
•   2 onions, minced
•   2 tablespoons tomato paste
•   5 teaspoons curry powder
•   1 1/2 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
•   2 garlic cloves, minced
•   6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
•   2  (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
•   2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
•   2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4-inch thick
•   1 cup frozen peas
•   1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
•   salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat, add chicken pieces and sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Brown chicken on all sides, about 5-8 minutes.  Remove chicken to separate bowl.  Discard any juices or leftover rendered fat.
2. Heat another 1 tablespoon olive the same non-stick skillet over medium high heat, add onions and curry powder cook until onions are softened and curry is fragrant-3 minutes.  Add garlic, tomato paste, and  ginger and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
3. Stir in about 1/2 cup of broth, stir and loosen bits on bottom pan; pour mixture into the slow cooker.  Add the rest of broth, chickpeas, carrots, and chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours on low.
4. Stir in zucchini and peas cover and cook on high until zucchini is tender, about 20-30 minutes.  Stir in cilantro, season with salt and pepper to taste.