Golden Soup with Chickpea Croutons

Ingredients

For the croutons

• 250 g (9 oz/1½ cups) cooked chickpeas or 1 tin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional but really, really yummy)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

For the soup

• 1 medium onion (about 125 g/4 oz/¾ cup when chopped)
• 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
• 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh turmeric or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 large sweet potato*
• 3 medium carrots*
• ½ medium pumpkin or squash*
• olive oil
• 1 litre (34 fl oz/4 cups) vegetable stock or
• 1 teaspoon lovage and 1 teaspoon sea salt mixed into 1 litre (34 fl oz/4 cups) water
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

* you need about 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) of each orange vegetable, once chopped, or about 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) in total, but don’t stress over quantities

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

To make the croutons, rinse and drain the chickpeas. Place in a saucepan with the oil, spices and salt, add a lid and shake so they are all coated in deliciousness. Pour into a roasting dish and cook for 30-40 minutes.

To make the soup, peel and roughly chop the onion, ginger and turmeric (if using fresh) and set aside.

Chop the orange veggies into approximately 1.5 cm (½ inch) cubes. I leave the skin on everything I can, but if you are using a pumpkin with a tough skin (i.e. anything that’s not Hokkaido), you will need to remove the skin before cooking

Pour enough oil into a saucepan to cover the base and place the pan on a medium heat. Add the chopped onion, ginger and turmeric to the pan. Stir with a wooden spoon for a couple of minutes and then add the chopped orange vegetables.

Pour in the vegetable stock, then add the chopped garlic with the bay leaf and spices. Season with some freshly ground black pepper then place the lid on top. Bring to the boil and then lower to a simmer, stirring occasionally to ensure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Cook for approximately 30 minutes or until the veggies are easily mushed when pressed with the back of the spoon. When cooked, allow to cool for 10 minutes, remove the bay leaf and blend the soup until smooth.

Serve in bowls, topped with the chickpea croutons and your choice of fresh herbs, pesto, or a yummy oil such as olive, avocado, pumpkin seed or walnut. Eat with my savoury Kale Scones or some warm crusty bread.