Courgette, Chickpea & Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, red or white
• 1 stick celery, top and end trimmed (and stringy bits peeled away with potato peeler)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or light olive oil
• 2 medium courgettes/zucchini, top and end trimmed (approx 350 g)
• 400 g (15 oz) tin chickpeas/garbanzos beans drained and rinsed or 240 g cooked chickpeas
• 400 g (15 oz) tin chopped tomatoes or 6 ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped small
• 1 sprig/1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 700 ml (1½ pints) vegetable stock (e.g. reduced salt Marigold vegetable bouillon)

Method

Chop the onions, celery and courgettes into small pieces.

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium-large saucepan. Stir in the chopped vegetables and bring to a nice even sizzle then sauté for 2 minutes.

Mix in the drained chickpeas and heat through for a minute. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

Stir in the vegetable stock, rosemary and the bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Taste and season with sea salt and pepper if necessary.

Remove the bay leaf before serving!