Moroccan Chickpea Soup

Moroccan Chickpea Soup
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion (about 1 cup chopped)
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) vegetable broth
1 cup water
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes seasoned with onions and garlic
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon bottled fresh ginger (see note)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 ounces (half a bag) fine, yolk-free egg noodles
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas
3 cups already cooked brown lentils, defrosted if frozen
Heat the oil over medium heat in a 4 1/2-quart Dutch oven or soup pot. Peel and coarsely chop the onion, adding it to the pot as you chop. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth and water, raise the heat to high, and begin bringing the soup to a boil. Meanwhile, add the tomatoes with their juice, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and black pepper. Cover the pot until the soup comes to a boil.
Uncover the pot, and stir in the egg noodles. Cook, uncovered, until the noodles are tender, about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, rinse the cilantro, and dry it with paper towels to remove excess water. Chop the leaves coarsely, and set aside. Rinse and drain the chickpeas, and set aside.
When the egg noodles are tender, add the lentils, chickpeas and chopped cilantro, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve at once in soup bowls.
Serves six.
Cook's note: Bottled, fresh ginger is a relatively new ingredient that is a perfect replacement for the time-consuming fresh ginger. Called crushed, ground, minced or chopped, depending on the brand, bottled, fresh ginger is available in the produce section of larger supermarkets. Peeled and finely minced fresh ginger root in equal amounts can be substituted.
Nutrition values per serving: 333 calories (14 percent from fat), 5 g fat (1 g saturated), 57 g carbohydrates, 14 g fiber, 18 g protein, 16 mg cholesterol, 1,571 mg sodium.