Chickpea and vegetable soup with pesto

Step 1

Heat up olive oil in a heavy bottom pot. Add garlic and fry it gently for a few minutes stirring regularly. Add sliced onion and fennel and fry, stirring frequently, until translucent.

Step 2

Add 1 tbsp of tomato paste, salt (add less if your stock has salt it in already) and ¼ tsp of hot chilli powder. Once vegetables are coated in tomato paste, add tinned tomatoes, 1 litre of stock, chopped carrots, celery, sugar and dried herbs. Pop the lid back on and simmer, on low heat, for about 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, add flat beans and simmer for further 4-5 minutes until they are cooked.

Step 3

Check the spicing, add more salt and chilli if needed. Add a good grind of black pepper. Before you are ready to serve the soup, pop cooked chickpeas in for a few minutes just to warm them through.

Step 4

Serve with a dollop of pesto and a piece of toasted sourdough bread.

Step 5

OPTIONAL STEP: roast walnuts gently on a dry pan, stirring frequently so they don't burn. They are ready when slightly browned and once they release a beautiful aroma.

Step 6

Put garlic and a generous pinch of salt into a pestle and mortar. Add chopped (make sure they are not wet) herbs and pound them with the pestle until they are thoroughly minced.

Step 7

Add a handful of dry roasted walnuts and work them into the herbs.

Step 8

Finally, trickle down your olive oil and work it into the pesto. Season with pepper, a dash of lemon and extra salt if needed.