taste
Tunisian Chickpea Soup There are a couple of pantry cupboard staples that I’m never without, chickpeas being one. For any hummus lover, tinned chickpeas are essential. I also have dried chickpeas on hand, but for a quick fix, tinned is the way to go. This form the basis of today’s soup. Other core ingredients are barley, coconut milk, spices and vegetable stock. I guess you could say this soup recipe is a store cupboard special. I love that a couple of basic ingredients can be turned into a wholesome and satisfying meal.
Ingredients • 15ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil • 1 large brown onion, finely diced • 1 clove garlic, minced • 5ml (1 teaspoon) turmeric • 10ml (2 teaspoons) ground coriander • 5ml (1 teaspoon) ground cumin • A pinch of nutmeg • ½ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes • 2 x 400g tinned chickpeas, rinsed and drained • ¼ cup barley, rinsed and drained • 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock • 400g tin coconut milk • 15ml (1 tablespoon) lemon juice • 80g (2 cups) baby spinach • �alt and black pepper • �oasted almond flakes, to serve
Method 1. Sauté the onion in the olive oil until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute. 2. Add all the spices and ‘dry fry’ to release all the aromatics. This should only take about a minute or two. Now add the chickpeas, barley, stock and coconut milk. 3. Cover partially and simmer for 35-40 minutes. The barley should be tender. 4. Transfer a third of the soup to a blender and blitz until smooth. Add the pureed soup back to the saucepan and stir through. Season lightly with salt and black pepper and add the lemon juice. Add the spinach to the soup and heat through until the leaves are wilted. 5. Ladle into bowls and scatter over the almond flakes and drizzle with a some coconut milk, if you like. Serves 6 Bibby’s Kitchen @ Thirty Six www.bibbyskitchenat36.com
www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 51
