Pumpkin and Chickpea Soup
8 servings
100 minutes
This spicy pumpkin and chickpea soup is bursting with delicious North African flavors.
1
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (gas mark 6).
2
Cut the pumpkin into cubes and place on a baking sheet, sprinkle with cumin and chili flakes. Drizzle with olive oil, mix, and bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft.
- Pumpkin pulp: 1 kg
- Cumin (zira): 1 tablespoon
- Chili pepper flakes: 1 teaspoon
- Olive oil: 90 ml
3
Finely chop celery, onion, garlic, and parsley stems (leave the leaves for later).
- Celery stalk: 2 pieces
- Red onion: 2 heads
- Garlic: 1 clove
- Parsley: 5 sprig
4
Once the pumpkin is ready, heat a large pot and pour in some oil. Add celery, garlic, parsley stems, and two-thirds of the onion and sauté until softened.
- Olive oil: 90 ml
- Celery stalk: 2 pieces
- Garlic: 1 clove
- Parsley: 5 sprig
- Red onion: 2 heads
5
Add the pumpkin and steam it for a few minutes, then pour in the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Pumpkin pulp: 1 kg
- Vegetable broth: 1.5 l
6
Add chickpeas and cook for another 15 minutes.
- Canned chickpeas: 600 g
7
Meanwhile, roast pumpkin seeds with almond flakes, fennel seeds, sesame, and poppy in a small amount of olive oil until they acquire a pleasant color.
- Pumpkin seeds: 40 g
- Almond petals: 50 g
- Fennel seeds: 0.5 tablespoon
- Sesame seeds: 0.5 tablespoon
- Poppy: 0.5 tablespoon
- Olive oil: 90 ml
8
Add lemon zest, chopped parsley and mint leaves, and the remaining onion to the seeds.
- Lemon zest: 1 tablespoon
- Parsley: 5 sprig
- Fresh mint: 3 sprigs
- Red onion: 2 heads
9
Season the soup with salt and pepper and, using an immersion blender, blend for a few seconds to thicken it while still leaving some chunks.
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Salt: to taste
10
Before serving, place half a teaspoon of harissa paste in each bowl and pour the soup. Stir once in each bowl, then sprinkle with a mixture of seeds and herbs, drizzling with extra virgin olive oil.
- Harissa: to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil: to taste