Pulse soup

Here is a step-by-step recipe for making a delicious winter legume soup, using chickpeas and vegetables of your choice. You can also adapt the recipe to suit your taste by using different combinations of legumes and vegetables.

Ingredients

• Pulses: 200 g of chickpeas or lentils
• Vegetables: 200 g of Swiss chard, pumpkin, spinach or turnip greens (you can mix them as you like)
• Extra virgin olive oil: to taste.
• Chilli: to taste (optional)
• Vegetable broth: 1 litre (or water)
• Garlic: 1 clove (optional)
• Salt and pepper: to taste.

Procedure

1. Preparing pulses:
   • If you’re using dried chickpeas, soak them for at least 8 hours. Once soaked, drain them and cook them in a saucepan with plenty of water for about 1–1.5 hours, until they are tender. If you are using lentils, there is no need to soak them, but cook them in water for about 20–30 minutes.
2. Preparing the vegetables:
   • Wash and chop the vegetables of your choice. If you’re using pumpkin, peel it and cut it into cubes.
   • Heat a little extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan and, if you like, add a whole clove of garlic for flavour. Fry gently for a couple of minutes.
   • Add the vegetables and cook them over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they are tender. You can add a ladleful of vegetable stock to help them cook.
3. Combining pulses and vegetables:
   • Once the pulses are cooked, drain them and add them to the vegetables in the pan. Stir well to combine the flavours.
   • Add enough vegetable stock to achieve the desired consistency. Bring to the boil and leave to cook for a further 10 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve:
   • Serve the soup hot in deep bowls, with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and, if desired, a sprinkling of chilli.

Variants

• Chickpeas and courgettes: Replace the vegetables with courgettes cut into rounds and cook them with the chickpeas.
• Beans and pumpkin: You can use borlotti or cannellini beans instead of chickpeas. Cook the pumpkin until it is soft, then add it to the pulses.

This soup is perfect for warming you up in winter and is a healthy, nutritious dish, packed with protein and fibre. Enjoy your meal!