Spiced Pumpkin & Chickpea Soup

• 3garlic cloves, minced
• 900 gpeeled, deseeded pumpkin, cut into 3 cm chunks
• 1large onion, diced
• 20 gfresh ginger, grated
• 2 tspground cumin
• 1 tspsmoked paprika
• ½ tspground turmeric
• 1litre vegetable stock
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 1 tspground coriander
• 240 gdrained chickpeas (from one 400 g tin), rinsed
• Fine salt, to taste
• 30 mllime juice
• 2carrots, finely diced
• 3 tbspplain yoghurt (optional)
• 15 gcoriander leaves, torn, optional (optional)
• Black pepper, to taste

Method

1. 1Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook for 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until softened and just turning golden at the edges. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika and turmeric. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until the spices smell fragrant and toasty.
2. 2Add the pumpkin chunks, stirring to coat everything in the spiced base. Pour over the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the pumpkin is completely tender and yields easily to a spoon.
3. 3Lift out roughly a third of the soup and set aside. Blend the remaining two-thirds until smooth and silky, then stir the reserved portion back through for a thick, chunky texture.
4. 4Tip in the chickpeas and simmer for a further 8 minutes to warm them through and let the flavours settle.
5. 5Stir in the lime juice. Taste before adding salt and black pepper.
6. 6Ladle into four bowls. Add a little optional yoghurt and torn coriander if using; omit the yoghurt for a vegan bowl.

Per serving

kcal

261

protein

9.3g

fibre

7.7g

carbs

38.4g

fat

8.6g