CHICKPEA LEEK SOUP WITH CRISPY GARLIC
It’s all about nourishing winter warmers at the moment. This humble chickpea is livened up with fresh lemon, plenty of herbs, a good dose of nutritional yeast and finished with crispy garlic chili oil, Super easy, and very satisfying.
If you don’t want to add the garlic last minute like this you can add it to the pan at the beginning before you add your leaks. The olive oil is key to adding flavour to the pulses (and also so good for you!), so don’t be tempted to skimp.
I included a recipe for toasted pumpkin seeds too, this is an optional addition. When I was toasting them I decided to throw in some extra seasoning and loved it so decided to share the recipe with you! Make sure you add the oil and seasoning at the end so you don’t heat the oil too much and burn the seasoning. Store these in a jar and sprinkle them on meals or enjoy as a healthy snack.
This will last in the fridge for a few days and freezes well. If you’re using dried chickpeas make sure you soak the night before and add around 40 minutes to the cooking time.
CHICKPEA AND LEEK SOUP
Serves 4-6
50ml olive oil
300g leek, sliced and washed well
150g sliced carrot
2 teaspoon salt
Small bunch bay leaves
700g cooked chickpeas*
700ml water
2 tsp pepper
20g nutritional yeast
100g parsley
Juice 1 ½ lemon.
Toasted pumpkin seed to finish - optional
TOASTED PUMPKIN SEED
200g pumpkin seed
1 teaspoon olive oil or flaxseed oil
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic granules
1/2 teaspoon onion granules
CRISPY GARLIC OIL
40g/ 8 clove garlic, minced
4 teaspoon dried chilli flakes - depending on your
75ml olive oil
Heat a medium- large saucepan on medium heat. Add the oil then the leeks, carrot, bay leaves, and stir in the salt. Cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally, until they have cooked down and softened,
Add the chickpeas, water, and pepper, and cook for 15 minutes. Blend one third of the soup. Return what you blended to the pan, and add the parsley, nutritional yeast lemon juice, and more salt if needed. Mix well and heat through.
If you want to go for the pumpkin seeds, heat a large frying pan on medium heat, add the pumpkin seeds, and keep moving so they are evenly toasted. This will take about 4 minutes - once they start to toast they’ll go quickly so don’t walk away, you’ll hear them start to pop and sizzle a little. Once they are toasted take them off the heat and mix through the other ingredients. You do this at the end so you’re not heating the oils too much and burning the seasoning. Set these aside, once cool store in a jar.
When the soup is ready, make the chili oil. Heat a small frying pan, and add the garlic and chili flakes. Cook on low-medium heat until the garlic starts to turn golden, don’t let it go past this point or it will become bitter. Transfer to s a small bowl.
Divide the soup between serving bowls and pour over the garlic chili crisp. I finished mine with some toasted pumpkin seeds as well.
*If cooking the chickpeas from dry, soak overnight. Drain and rinse, and cook in a saucepan with plenty of water until tender, it should take about 40 minutes. You can keep the cooking water to use as aquafaba.
