Cuisine – Hearty vegetable and chickpea soup

Often I think there seems to be nothing for dinner, despite having my vegetable drawer half-filled with staples that see me through each week. When asked “What’s for dinner?” most people respond first with the protein that takes centre plate, (vegetarians excluded.) Usual answers will be lamb chops, steak, chicken, mince or fish or, as in many households, pizza or spaghetti.

But turning to the vegetables on hand, and especially now that winter has arrived with a vengeance, wonderful soups can be whipped up to make a satisfying and delicious meal. It’s also a good idea to think like this as all the food waste that is being constantly discussed can be avoided by tossing all those vegies into a pan, boiling them up together for a filling soup. Add some crusty bread or toast and there’s dinner.

One of the handiest gadgets in my kitchen is the blending stick (and, in case you’re asking ‘hasn’t she got an air fryer’, the answer is no, I have not.) My blending stick can change a mixture of vegetables into a super smooth soup, or into a lovely puree of potatoes, pumpkin, or any combination to serve over pasta. One of my favourites is when I have a surplus of broccoli from the garden, as all the plants produce their heads at once. Broccoli, blended with olive oil, a few fresh herbs and some parmesan or cream makes a great meal served with chunky pasta tubes.

Likewise, a chunky soup of vegetables on hand makes for an easy dinner. Add in some chickpeas or white beans from a can to add interest and texture. And the bigger the saucepan, the more the chance of leftovers that will do for a quick lunch in the next day or two.

The lovely soup recipe here was whipped up in less than half an hour. The ingredient list might appear long, but it can be altered, added to or take a different direction according to what is in your fridge. That one remaining carrot or kumara or a chunk of pumpkin could also become a parsnip or a large potato, and if you haven’t got a leek, a nice big onion will do the trick instead.

I have made soups like this with rice instead of the chickpeas, or pasta shapes like macaroni, tubes or shells. Other type of beans or lentils are also great ingredients in any soup. But do consider the order you add the various ingredients to your pan. Onions, garlic and leeks all develop more flavour with a longer cooking time, but softer, fragile vegetables like pumpkin and green beans, broccoli or other types of squash do not need to be cooked as long as those dense carrots, kumara and potatoes.

And finishing touches are important, too. A pile of fresh herbs makes a great difference to a soup, as does the addition of a little cheese like the feta in the recipe or some grated parmesan. And if you have a little leftover like ham or sausage, pop that in the soup at the finish. Keep warm!

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Hearty winter vegetable soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 leek, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 large kumara, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
150g cup chickpeas, drained
1 litre chicken stock
1 cup water
1 tin crushed tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
150g pumpkin, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 handful of fresh spinach leaves, washed and sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

To finish
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 thick slice ham cut into matchsticks
60g feta cheese, crumbled

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan and add the leeks and garlic cloves with the cumin. Cook for about 8 minutes over a very low heat until the leeks soften. Add the carrot, kumara and chickpeas and toss well in the oil. Add the stock, tomato and water and set to a low simmer for about 15 minutes. Next, add pumpkin chunks and salt and pepper and continue to simmer slowly for a further 10 minutes. Finally stir in the spinach and cook for a further minute.

To serve, ladle out into individual bowls and scatter over ham, feta cheese and extra black pepper. Serve hot with fresh crusty bread or buttered toast.

Serves 4 to 6 as a complete meal.