Spiced Tomato and Chickpea Soup

This delicious vibrant tomato and chickpea soup is delicately spiced and supercharged with plenty of vegetables and pulses to pack the nutrients into each mouthful. The perfect hearty winter warmer to batch cook and have ready for those cold winter days. I’ve used “Chana dal” in this recipe; essentially they are chickpeas that have been split and dried, so they have a slightly firmer texture than whole tinned chickpeas. Not only do they provide a good source of plant-based protein, but also a boost of fibre and iron.

Making this warming tomato and chickpea soup, you’ll need:

2 tbsp olive oil plus extra for drizzling
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 stick celery, finely chopped
2 small carrots, finely diced
1 large red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp paprika
400g can good quality chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purée
100g dried split chickpeas (chana dal), rinsed and drained

Here’s how:

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onions, garlic, celery and carrots. Sauté over a gentle heat for around 10 minutes until the onions are translucent and the vegetables begin to soften. Do not allow them to burn; turn the heat down if necessary.

Add the red peppers and continue to cook for a further 2 mins.

Now add the spices and gently sauté for a minute or so until the aromas are released, before adding the tomatoes, tomato purée and chickpeas. Season with salt and stir well.

Cover with water and bring to the boil and simmer with the lid on for a further 30mins, until the chickpeas are cooked and the soup thickens.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and extra chilli flakes if desired.

Tips

This soup can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for around 1 week. It also freezes well; defrost slowly to keep the vegetables intact, before warming through.