MOROCCAN PUMPKIN AND CHICKPEA SOUP
Pumpkin, chickpeas and a little spice equals a wickedly tasting soup. I like to keep it pretty chunky as the textures work well and the flavours mingle perfectly.
Serves 4
500 g fresh pumpkin, diced into bite sized pieces
1 ½ cup cooked chickpeas
several small sprigs of fresh coriander, tied into a bouquet
2 Tbps oil
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 leek, washed and sliced thinly
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
2 -3 tsp honey
1 cinnamon stick
Fresh grate of nutmeg
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ginger
¼ tsp turmeric
salt and freshly ground pepper
In a medium to large pot, cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium-low heat until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spices and cook for further minute or two, add the pumpkin, chickpeas, coriander stalks, stock, honey, and salt and pepper to taste.
To add a little natural thickening simply use a potato masher and mash the ingredients together a few times to slightly amalgamate the soup.