Tomato soup is one of my favorite soups, and when you combine tomatoes with veggies and garbanzo beans, you end up with a really great-tasting, healthy soup! I was inspired to make this when I found a recipe over at Grown From Scratch, and I modified it slightly. I used less chicken stock so the soup would be thicker because I love thick, chunky soup! And I also used more leeks and garlic, and a little less spinach. I really like the taste of this soup–hope you get a chance to try it!

TOMATO VEGGIE GARBANZO SOUP (makes 4-6 servings)

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 3 leeks, thinly sliced (an easy way to slice them is to halve lengthwise and then slice crosswise–if you don’t have leeks on hand, you can substitute 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced)
• 2 medium zucchini, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (14-oz.) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can chicken broth (I used the low sodium broth)
• 1 (14 oz.) can garbanzo beans  (also known as chickpeas)
• 3 firmly-packed cups fresh baby spinach leaves (about 4 oz.), chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling on top

Saute thinly-sliced leeks and diced zucchini in olive oil until tender. Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock, and garbanzo beans. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and stir into the soup. Cook until spinach is wilted, about 2 to 5 minutes longer. Add salt and pepper to taste if desired, and serve with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top–the Parmesan cheese gives it a great little zing!

The soup also goes great with a crusty loaf of bread or garlic bread!

Are you a tomato soup-lover too? Do you have a favorite tomato soup recipe?