Description
Hearty jamie oliver pumpkin chickpea soup brings warmth and comfort to autumn meals. Rich Mediterranean flavors combine creamy pumpkin with protein-packed chickpeas for a nourishing bowl you’ll crave.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 kg (2.2 lbs) butternut pumpkin, peeled, chopped
- 400 g (14 oz) chickpeas, canned, rinsed, drained
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 leek, halved lengthways, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 tsps fresh oregano, chopped
- 2 tsps Mexican chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- ½ cup cheddar or Mexican-style cheese, coarsely grated
- Sour cream, to serve
- Fresh coriander, chopped, to serve
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Gently sweat leeks until translucent, then quickly introduce garlic, oregano, Mexican chili powder, and cumin, stirring to release their fragrant essence.
- Build Soup Base: Add vegetable stock, butternut squash, chickpeas, and cinnamon sticks to the pan. Elevate heat to trigger a boil, then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer, covering to trap moisture and enhance flavor infusion.
- Develop Texture: Allow soup to simmer for 20 minutes, periodically testing squash for optimal tenderness. Once vegetables reach a soft consistency, remove cinnamon sticks, which have now imparted their warm, aromatic notes.
- Finalize Soup: Utilize an immersion blender to transform the mixture into a velvety, uniform puree. Ensure complete smoothness while maintaining the soup’s rich, robust character.
- Plate and Garnish: Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls, crowning each portion with a sprinkle of grated cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and a scattering of fresh coriander leaves to elevate the visual and gustatory experience.
Notes
- Spice Intensity Management: Adjust Mexican chili powder based on personal heat tolerance, starting with less and gradually adding more to control spiciness.
- Vegetable Softening Technique: Ensure leeks are slowly cooked to develop a sweet, mellow flavor without browning, which can introduce bitterness.
- Blending Safety Tip: When using a standard blender, allow soup to cool slightly and blend in batches, covering lid with a towel to prevent hot liquid splashing.
- Texture Customization: For a chunkier soup, partially blend the mixture, leaving some chickpeas and squash pieces intact for added texture and visual appeal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: UK
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg