* Spicy Tomato and Chickpea Soup {Meatless Mondays}

I absolutely loved this soup. It was filling. more-ish and nommy and although I have previously harboured a vindictive and somewhat unreasonable hatred of chickpeas in the past - I now love them too. Not quite as much as I love cheese, or spinach or mayonnaise... but we're working on our relationship a bit at a time and it's slowly moving forwards.

Me and chickpeas... we is now friends. 

I think this is mostly down to the fact that I stopped buying cheap supermarket *own* versions and started paying out a few extra pennies for better quality ones. There's a world of difference that you wouldn't expect in something so simple. 

Neil has always liked chickpeas, and has dipped out in the past because I've only cooked with them rarely... and Neil doesn't cook. Like... ever...

... the last time he made anything, it was a BLT and he brought it up to me as breakfast in bed. I don't know what he did to it, but it was the soggiest, pappiest most disgusting thing I have ever bitten into! Thankfully, he buggered off downstairs and I was able to flush it down the toilet. I was positively STARVING come lunch time because I didn't tell him.... not for about five years anyway...

...when it would no longer damage his ego. Not quite sure why I waited so long. I really didn't want him to cook again, and I'm pretty damn glad he never offered.

But that's between you, me and the gatepost.

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Spicy Tomato and Chickpea Soup Recipe

Serves 4

Prep time - 10 minutes
Cooking time - 40 minutes
Total time - 50 minutes

You will need
A medium saucepan/skillet with lid

Ingredients
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 large onion - diced
2 large carrots - peeled and diced
3 sticks celery - diced
1 clove garlic - crushed
3 tsps harissa paste
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsps tomato paste/puree
14oz/400g can chopped tomatoes
18fl oz/500ml vegetable stock
14oz/400g can chickpeas - rinsed and drained
2 tbsps couscous
handful of fresh parsley - chopped

Method

• Heat the oil in the pan and gently cook the onion, carrot and celery until softened - about 5 minutes. Pop the lid on to keep them moist whilst cooking and remember to stir.
• Stir in the garlic, harissa, cumin and tomato paste.
• Pour in the canned tomatoes, vegetable stock and chickpeas - stir well, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add the couscous (optional) and simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Stir in the chopped parsley just before serving.

EAT

Lightly adapted from Good Food Magazine.