Golden Chickpea & Lentil Rice Soup Recipe

Golden Chickpea & Lentil Rice Soup

Jassy Davis

50 mins

4-6 people

Ingredients

2 x 400g tins of chickpeas
1 cinnamon stick
8 whole cloves
8 cardamom pods
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 bay leaves
1 onion
4 garlic cloves
A thumb of ginger, approximately 30g
A thumb of turmeric, approximately 15g
2 tbsp tomato purée
400ml coconut milk
125g red lentil rice
150g cavolo nero
1-2 limes, to taste
Dairy-free yogurt, to serve
Crushed chilli flakes, to serve

Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 35 mins

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Method

1. Drain the chickpeas and set aside. Trim, peel and finely dice the onion. Peel and finely slice the garlic cloves. Finely chop the chilli, scooping out the white pith and seeds if you prefer less heat. Peel and grate the ginger and turmeric (the turmeric likes to stain everything yellow, so protect your clothes with an apron and use a chopping board you can wash up quickly or grate the turmeric onto a plate).

2. Place a large pan on a medium-high heat. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, cumin and coriander seeds and bay leaves. Toast, stirring, for 2-3 mins till the pan smells aromatic. Tip the toasted spices into a bowl and set aside.

3. Add 8 tbsp of the chickpeas to the pan and pour in 2 tbsp oil. Season with salt and fry, turning often, for 3-4 mins till crisp all over. Lift out of the pan and set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper.

4. Add 2 more tbsp oil to the pan, then add the onion, garlic, chilli, ginger and turmeric. Season well with salt and pepper. Fry, stirring often, for 5 mins till golden brown and soft, but not too browned. Turn the heat down and add a splash of water if the onions start to catch and darken.

5. Add the remaining chickpeas to the pan and fry, stirring, for 5 mins till softened. Use a masher to lightly crush them. They don't have to all be crushed, or turned into a purée. Just lightly crush around ¼-½ of the chickpeas.

6. Stir all the toasted spices into the onion and chickpeas. Add the tomato purée and pour in the coconut milk. Fill the tin with water twice – 800ml water in total – and add that to the pan. Tip in the red lentil rice and stir to mix. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and pop on a lid. Simmer for 8 mins till the rice is almost tender and the soup has thickened a little. Lift out the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cardamom pods and cloves, if you can find them.

7. Meanwhile, strip the cavolo nero leaves from their woody stems. Finely shred the leaves. Add the cavolo nero to the soup and simmer, lid off, for 5 mins till the cavolo nero is tender and wilted. Squeeze in the juice from 1 lime. Taste the soup, and add more lime juice, a pinch of salt, pepper or sugar, if you think it needs it.

8. Ladle the soup into 4 warm bowls. Top with a spoonful of dairy-free yogurt, then scatter over the crispy fried chickpeas and a pinch of chilli flakes. Add a wedge of lime to each bowl and serve.