Method

Heat a wide saucepan, add 2 tbsp of olive / rapeseed oil. Sweat the onion with a big pinch of salt, followed by celery, carrot and garlic. I tend to layer it in that order, giving each vegetable it’s moment in the pan.

Add the thyme, rosemary, zest & stock. Depending on how soft your chickpeas are - you can either add them now, or half way through the simmering time.

Simmer for 25 minutes.

I usually blend a few ladles of soup to thicken, but totally up to you.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt & pepper - add finely chopped dill, lemon juice, EVOO.

Hot tip: using dried chickpeas and soaking them overnight in water and bicarb will greatly enhance the flavour of soups made with legumes. You can use the aromatic bean liquor as your stock, which you can doctor with hard herbs and salt in the cooking process.

Chickpea, lemon & dill soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 large white onion, finely diced

  • 2 celery sticks, finely diced

  • 3 cloves garlic, finely sliced

  • 2 carrots, finely diced

  • 2 sprigs of thyme

  • 2 sprigs of rosemary

  • Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

  • 1 vegetable stock cube, 800ml water

  • 2 tinned chickpeas (400g) / 2 jarred chickpeas (570g)

  • Dill, roughly chopped

  • Salt & black pepper