Chickpea and parsley soup recipe

This chickpea and parsley soup recipe has the wonderful combination of being both low in fat and filling. Another plus point is that it's super speedy; on the table in half an hour or less. It's a vegetarian soup that uses thrifty ingredients, including red lentils and canned tomatoes, which bring extra flavour and a beautiful russet colour. North African flavour favourites, ground cumin and chilli flakes, add heat, spice and produce a fantastic tempting aroma. Make this soup stretch further by adding or serving over brown rice, or serving it with hunks of crusty bread

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 140g red lentils
• 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 800ml vegetable stock
• 200g chickpeas
• Small bunch parsley, roughly chopped, a few eaves set aside to garnish

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the onion, cumin and chilli flakes. Gently fry for 5 minutes, or until the onion softens.
2. Put the lentils, chopped tomatoes and stock in the pan, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the lentils have softened.
3. Blend using a food processor or hand blender, then add the chickpeas, stir through the parsley and heat for 5 minutes.
4. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with parsley leaves.