Spicy Red Pepper and Chickpea Soup

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

3½ cups cooked or no-salt-added canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed

Pinch Spanish smoked paprika (pimenton)

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

½ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

½ teaspoon cumin seed

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1½ pounds red bell peppers (about 4 small-to-medium peppers), stemmed, seeded and chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon white miso

1½ tablespoons Sriracha or other hot sauce

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

4 cups low-sodium or no-salt-added vegetable broth, homemade or store-bought

1½ cups cooked white rice

¼ cup loosely packed parsley leaves, for garnish

Dry half (1¾ cups) of the chickpeas on paper towels.

Pour ¼ cup of the oil into a Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the towel-dried chickpeas and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and crisped, 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a bowl. Season with ½ teaspoon of the salt and the pinch of smoked paprika, and toss to coat.

Wipe out the pot, and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil, over medium heat.

Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the crushed red-pepper flakes, cumin seed, black pepper and the remaining ½ teaspoon of the salt; cook just until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in the bell peppers and the remaining half (1¾ cups) of the chickpeas; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are tender, 10 minutes.

The fried chickpeas can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Whisk together the lemon juice, miso, Sriracha or other hot sauce and the lemon zest in a small bowl, then stir it into the soup, along with the broth. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the flavors meld, a minute or two. Taste, and add more salt, as needed.

Uncover; use an immersion (stick) blender to puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the rice; cook for a minute or two so the rice will warm through.

Divide the soup among serving bowls. Top with the roasted chickpeas and parsley. Drizzle with a little oil and serve hot.

Serves 6 (makes about 9 cups)

Adapted from "Smith & Deli-Cious: Food From Our Deli (That Happens to Be Vegan)," by Shannon Martinez and Mo Wyse (Hardie Grant Books, 2018).