EDWARD ENTERTAINS
THIS WEEK: SPICED CHICKPEA BROTH
This is a delicious soup as it can be as strongly or as mildly spiced as you wish. It is important to use a good-quality stock in this soup. Made a little thicker, this spiced chickpea mixture is nice served with plain boiled basmati rice.
RECIPE
* 1 large onion – chopped
* 1 inch root ginger – chopped
* 1 red chilli – finely chopped
* 4 cloves of garlic – crushed
* 2 sticks of celery
* 1 leek
* 4oz/110g red lentils
* 2lb/900g tinned chickpeas (2 cans)
* Half a teaspoon of turmeric
* 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
* 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
* 2 pints/1.2 litres chicken stock
*2 dessertspoons of chopped coriander
* Juice of 2 limes
METHOD
* Drain the chickpeas and rinse with cold water.
* Chop the leek, onion and celery into small bite-size pieces.
* In a large pot, heat a little sunflower oil and add to it the lentils, diced leek, celery, onion, ginger, garlic and red chilli. Cook the mixture over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes, or until the vegetables have begun to soften.
* Next add in the chickpeas, followed by the turmeric and cumin and allow these spices to infuse with the vegetables for a further 5-6 minutes on a gentle heat.
* Pour in the chopped tomatoes and the chicken stock and bring the entire mixture to a boil. * Simmer gently until all of the vegetables are tender.
* Season with a little salt and pepper and the juice of the two limes and finally add in the freshly chopped coriander.
* Garnish with a little natural yoghurt and flat leaf parsley.
* Serve piping hot with very crusty bread.