Lemony chickpea soup

I’m such a soup person. It’s one of those dishes I can almost always whip up when I have a random assortment of things in my kitchen. Chickpeas are one of our go-to plant protein sources. They offer so much versatility, whether you’re adding a handful to a roast veggie salad, making a creamy hummus or, in the case of this recipe, adding them to a luscious, filling and zingy soup. This lemony chickpea soup is really easy to prepare and comes together quickly It’s full of zingy flavour and has enough personality to warm even the coldest nights.

When it comes to chickpeas, I recommend making them from dried if time allows. It does mean soaking them and cooking them a while (use a pressure cooker to radically speed up the process) but freshly cooked chickpeas are much more prana-filled and nourishing than canned. Having said that, the reality is that we don’t all always have the time to prepare our chickpeas from scratch. If the difference between you getting a homemade meal or ordering Uber Eats is a can of chickpeas, go for the can.

You’ll need
3 tablespoons ghee or olive oil

1 onion onion, finely chopped

3 bay leaves

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks

2 stalks celery, cut into chunks

800g cooked chickpeas

1.5 litres hot broth (chicken or veggie works best)

1 large zucchini, cut into chunks

1 cup peas

3-4 leaves swiss chard, finely shredded

1 1/2 lemons, juiced (more or less to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

Your favourite fresh herbs, to serve

How to
1 In a large soup pot, add the ghee or olive oil. Add the onion and bay leaves and fry on medium heat until softened. Add the carrot, celery and sweet potato and saute for a few minutes, then add the chickpeas and hot broth. Bring to a gentle simmer.

2 When the veggies are nearly tender, add the zucchini, swiss chard and peas. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Depending on how lemony you like things, you might like to add it slowly and adjust to suit your taste.

3 Ladle into bowls and finish with your favourite freshly chopped herbs – parsley, coriander, mint and basil all work really well.