Chunky Squash & Chickpea Soup

By winefoot

This butternut squash soup with a chili-flavored flair will warm you on a chilly evening. Zesty with herbs and spices, you’ll love the complex flavors.

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and diced, reserving the seeds
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 dried red chilli, crumbled
• Olive oil
• 2 sticks celery, trimmed and finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• A few sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped, stalks finely chopped, divided
• 2 small red onions, peeled and finely chopped, divided
• 6 1/4 cups organic chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 (14-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Zest of 2 lemons
• A few sprigs fresh mint, leaves picked and chopped
• Harissa paste
• 1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds, toasted
• 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
• 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds, toasted
• 1/2 cup almond flakes, toasted
• Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place squash, cumin and crumbled chilli on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, mix together and place in the preheated oven. Roast 45 minutes until the squash is cooked through.

Heat a large saucepan and pour in a splash of oil. Add the celery, garlic, parsley stalks and two-thirds of the onion. Cover and cook gently until softened.

Drop in the roasted squash and let it sweat for a few minutes, then pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer 15 minutes. Add chickpeas and simmer 15 minutes more.

Season soup well and, using a hand-held blender, whiz for a few seconds so it thickens, but there are still some chunky bits. Keep warm while you mix together the lemon zest, chopped parsley leaves and mint leaves. Chop the remaining onion until it's really fine, then mix into the zesty mixture.

To serve, spoon half a teaspoon of harissa paste into each bowl. Divide the zesty herb mixture among the bowls and ladle over the soup. Stir each bowl once with a spoon, then sprinkle with the toasted fennel seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and almond flakes and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.