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Orange ya glad it’s Monday?

OK, probably not, but it IS Meatless Monday. And for something a little bit different, yet comforting, we’ve found a vegetarian recipe that is both hardy and light enough to pair nicely with a salad made from local veggies.

And, it’s bright orange.

This Coconut, Carrot, and Chickpea Soup is a super fast soup to make, and full of vitamin A from the carrots, protein from the chickpeas and good medium-chain fatty acids from the coconut.

If you don’t finish the soup outright, it would be a nice, warming lunch for a desk jockey in an office with an overly aggressive summer air-conditioner.

Coconut, Carrot, and Chickpea Soup

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 1/2 pounds carrots, coarsely chopped

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup canned light coconut milk

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

In a large saucepot, heat coconut oil over medium heat until melted. Add onion and garlic and cook about 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in curry powder, cumin and ginger and cook 1 minute. Stir in carrots, beans, broth and 1 cup water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until carrots and beans are very tender. Stir in coconut milk and salt. Use an immersion blender to purée soup. Alternatively, let the soup cool slightly and carefully purée in batches in a traditional blender. Serves 4.

• Recipe from www.wholefoodsmarket.com