Leek and Chickpea Soup
Healthy Eating Recipes: Leek and Chickpea Soup
This is a simple, feel good healthy eating soup that tastes lovely. I garnish it with chopped fresh coriander leaves to add colour and you'll have some left over from your Chickpea stew! The leeks in this are great prebiotics (this means that they feed the good bacteria in your gut helping to keep you fit and healthy for the winter). The cumin and coriander will make the dish more warming and boost the nutrient value of the dish even further. I have also chosen to cook this dish with no oil, making it great for those with cardiovascular issues.
| 1 large onion (red or white), chopped 2 leeks 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 2 teaspoons coriander seeds 2 cloves of garlic Juice of 1 lemon Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 litre of boiling water 1*400g tin of chickpeas or 200g of dried chickpeas that have been soaked overnight and cooked 200 ml of coconut milk Freshly chopped coriander leaves |
Grate or chop garlic and leave to one side. Put the cumin and coriander in a large saucepan and leave for a few mins on the heat. This will help extract the flavour. Take out of pan and grind in a coffee grinder or a pestle and morter. If you have neither of these, buy one (!!!) or use pre-ground. In the meantime, put the chopped onions into the saucepan. Rather than using oil, simply add a little water and allow to sweat for 10 mins with the lid on. Finely chop the leeks and add to onions and let sweat for a few minutes (if you are worried about the onions drying out, simply add a bit more water) Add the ground spices, the chickpeas, and the garlic and the lemon juice, stir and add a little salt and pepper. Add the boiling water and bring back to the boil. Cover and let simmer for about 30 - 40 mins. Add the coconut milk and give it a good stir. Remove from the pan and liquidise with a hand blender or a liquidiser. If you feel its too thick, add some more boiling water. Season again if necessary. To serve, sprinkle with a little chopped coriander and, if you like, a little lemon juice. To make it a complete meal, have with some oatcakes, some brown soda bread or some wholegrain bread. It should keep in the fridge for 3/4 days.
Wheat free, gluten free, diary free and sugar free |