Spiced chickpea soup

Serves 4-6 You will need: • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • 1 medium onion, chopped • 1 stalk celery, chopped • 2 cloves garlic, chopped • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds • 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes • Big pinch of sugar • 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed • 500ml chicken stock or vegetable stock • Juice of half a lemon • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a saucepan. Add the chopped onions, the chopped celery, the chopped garlic and some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook the vegetables on a low-tomedium heat with the lid on, until they are soft but not coloured — this should take about 6-8 minutes. 2 As the onions cook, add the coriander seeds and cumin seeds to a frying pan and place it on medium heat for about a minute or so, just until the seeds are lightly toasted and fragrant. Then either use a pestle and mortar to crush them, or cool the seeds slightly, put them in a plastic bag and crush them using a rolling pin. Add the crushed seeds to the onion, celery and garlic mixture, and cook for a minute. Next, pour in the tinned chopped tomatoes and all their juice, the sugar, the drained chickpeas, and the chicken stock or vegetable stock, whichever you’re using. Bring up to the boil and cook for 6-8 minutes, until the tomatoes are softened, then add the lemon juice and the chopped fresh parsley. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve.