This is a quick, healthy and delicious soup using pantry staples. Of course you can use fresh tomatoes and soak dried chickpeas overnight - but this simple method is just as effective and so much easier
Serves 4
For the Soup
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 red capsicum, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lemon myrtle, dried and ground
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes (or fresh ripe tomatoes in season)
2 x 400g cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
500 ml chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
120g goats cheese, crumbled
Lemon Aspen Gremolata to taste
For the Lemon Aspen Gremolata
2 teaspoons Lemon Aspen Superfruit Powder
Squeeze of lemon juice
½ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 large garlic clove, crushed or chopped very finely
1 anchovy fillet, finely chopped (delicious but totally optional)
Heat the olive oil in a pot and sauté the onion and garlic over a moderate heat until tender. Add the lemon myrtle, red capsicum, tomatoes and chick peas and sauté gently for about 15-20 minute. Some oil may rise to the surface, but this is usual and nothing to worry about.
Add the chicken stock, season with salt and pepper and simmer for a further 15 minutes.
While the soup is cooking, simply make the gremolata by mixing together all the ingredients in a bowl.
To serve, ladle the soup into deep bowls and crumble the goats cheese over the top. Finally sprinkle the gremolata generously over the soup and serve.
copyright Juleigh Robins, used with permission