Last Updated on May 20, 2020 by Chef Mireille
Chickpea & Okra Ground Provision Soup is a Caribbean style soup that is both Vegan and Gluten Free full of hearty root vegetables. So filling it can be a meal on its own.
In the Caribbean, ground provision refers to any assortment of root vegetables served with meals. It can include potato, yam, sweet potato, plantain, green banana, pumpkin, eddoe and breadfruit.
In the last 10 years, Brooklyn, NY has been experiencing a gentrification, due to rising living costs in Manhattan. Brooklyn has become the most popular borough, after Manhattan. It’s just a short train ride. For single, young people, there are many nice bars, lounges and restaurants. We have Prospect Park for bikers, runners and people who enjoy outdoor activities. Prospect Park also has a stage,where they run a concert series every summer. A museum, BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) the Botanical Garden and an aquarium, there are also many cultural activities to enjoy. People with families enjoy tree lined streets in relatively safe neighborhoods. Brooklyn is the oldest developed part of New York, with many old buildings and homes. Because of this, homes and apartment sizes tend to be larger than other parts. Take a walk through historic Flatbush and some parts of Ditmas Park and you will see homes that some would call mansion size.
When tourists come to NYC, most of them stay in Manhattan and they are missing a lot of the heartbeat of New York, by ignoring this wonderful borough where I live, although this has been changing in recent years. If you visit NY, don’t ignore Brooklyn!!!
Neighborhoods that were previously cultural pockets of people originating from one region of the world have become diversified. The neighborhood where I live is one of those. What was once a primarily Caribbean neighborhood about 20 years ago has been transformed into a very diverse community. With this, an interest in global foods has been awakened in people who are now encountering new foods. I often see all American Manhattan transplants who are confirmed foodies in the market looking at products with confused faces as they stare at a vegetable they want to try, but have no idea what it is or how to prepare it. One of these items is breadfruit.
Breadfruit
Breadfruit is an optional ingredient you can choose to use as one of the ground provision in this soup. If breadfruit is a new ingredient to you, here is some more info on it!
Breadfruit is a fruit, eaten as a vegetable, similar to plantain. Breadfruit can be eaten green or ripe. When ripe, there is a sweetness that comes out, which makes it suitable for desserts as well. People may think it is spoiled when ripe, the skin is brown and unattractive. However, this is when it is the sweetest. Breadfruit can be boiled, roasted, stewed or fried. You must peel it, remove the center core and then it can be cooked countless ways, as versatile as potato. As people want more exposure to global foods, I even came across a breadfruit in the Union Square Whole Foods and I was surprised. I hope I encourage you to try these new foods and don’t be afraid of them.
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| Breadfruit |
If you run across a breadfruit in the local market, you may also want to try my Breadfruit Puffs.
IN THE MAKING – HOW TO MAKE CHICKPEA & OKRA GROUND PROVISION SOUP
Use whatever ground provision you have available – basically any root vegetable that comes from the ground – or even a tree (breadfruit, plantains) can be used.
Perfect soup for cold winter evenings!
Chickpea & Okra Ground Provision Soup
Ingredients
- 1 15.5 oz. can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1 Scotch Bonnet/ Habanero pepper cut in half
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon vegetable base powder or 1 bouillon cube
- 8 cups vegetable broth or water
- 2 cups okra sliced thick
- 1 yellow plantain sliced thick (not over ripe, skin should be at least half yellow/half black)
- 1 green plantain sliced thick
- 12 oz. assorted ground provision peeled and chopped (potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, breadfruit, eddoe)
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat oil. Add onion, garlic, ginger and bell pepper. Saute until vegetables are softened. Add chickpeas and cook for 1 minute, while stirring. Add Scotch Bonnet pepper, turmeric, vegetable base and water or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add plantains, okra, ground provision, dried parsley, thyme, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil again. Reduce to a simmer and cook until vegetables are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Add fresh parsley and stir to combine.
- Remove Scotch Bonnet pepper as desired (see Notes below).
Notes
Nutrition
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Never cooked okra this way, adding them in soup sounds truly very interesting, am intrigued just how they would have tasted in soup.
Soup with Okra ..that sounds interesting.
Such a mix of fruit and vegetables, sweet and.salt in a soup or otherwise is very new to me. And i loved all the info ABT Brooklyn. I was visualising the place and the people a i read the post. Wonderful, Mireille
what a lovely colorful soup…and will remember about borough when i make it to NY 🙂
Such an interesting soup. Sounds delicious and looks comforting and filling.
Never cooked okra this way!! that is so intersting!!!
Sowmya
Ongoing Event – CWF – Whole Wheat Flour
NIce and healthy soup
Loved reading your post Mir.Its nice to get to know things that happen around the world.And the soup looks so tempting.
lovely intro to your neighborhood. Love the use of breadfruit.
Thanks for sharing about breadfruit. I have never seen it before. I will look out for it. Great soup with protein and veggie.
In Indian cuisine, I have only seen it referenced in Goa and karnataka but you should give it a try yourself
Sounds like a very delicious soup with so many different veggies in there. I am yet to cook with bread fruit.
I am sure you would like it. Try it the next time you come across it at the market!
Bread fruit is something so new to me. And learnt a lot about NY today. Wish I could visit you there Mir. The soup looks wonderful with okra and chickpeas and the bread fruit. Sounds like a filling meal by itself.
who knows what the future will bring. you just might get here and I will be glad to show you around!
I have heard a lot about the breadfruit but have never tasted it. This is a great recipe to use up assorted vegetables and perfect for this time of the year.
thank you – you should try the breadfruit if you come across it next time
Cooking okra likes this is very new to me. Looks very inviting. Must try this too
oh in the Caribbean okra is often added to soups
I have once made a soup with okra for one of our regular BM’s!! Love name of the recipe Mir, ground provision, abundance from the earth, that is how i read it!
Love all the ingredients gone into this, lovely flavors and a hearty soup!!!
exactly Priya – it’s the provisions that the ground provides
This recipe sounds so delicious that I am hungry now. I love chickpea and I love okra too but never tried them together. I have never seen or tasted breadfruit so really excited about this recipe. Now, I need to search where to find breadfruit in Dubai so that I can make this dish.
I hope you can find the breadfruit in Dubai.
Interesting post, interesting soup, interesting name of the soup and interesting bread fruit. If I ever visit NY, then a visit to Brooklyn will definitely be on the list. An interesting soup recipe Mireille, would definitely like to give it a try but would have to use a root vegetable or plantain. Interesting to read about breadfruit as I’ve not come across it or tasted it.
You can sub any variety of root vegetables for the breadfruit
I have never cooked with okra but am inspired to try. Looks like a flavoursome , warming dish.
Okra is one of my favorite vegetables. You should definitely try it out!
Interesting ingredients in this recipe you have. I have not eaten bread fruit and is new to me. Okra in a soup I cannot imagine and is a completely new and interesting take with all the other ingredients. All in all, the soup looks warm and comforting.
Although okra is used a lot in Indian cuisine generally not in soups but it is a commons soup vegetable in Caribbean cuisine.
We have visited Brooklyn only once and must admit it is a perfect place for hangouts.. never had bread fruit. this soup with breadfruit with okra sounds quite interesting and looks comforting for chilly winter evenings.
Glad that you visited by hometown – next time you visit, you must try some breadfruit!