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Springtime in Melbourne means many things. It’s the smell of jasmine in the air. The warm t-shirt days followed by the cold, rainy ones. It’s during springtime that Melbourne really lives up to it’s reputation of four seasons in one day. Which is why some days, during springtime in Melbourne, only a comforting soup will do.
My favorite soup to make right now is this Springtime Leek and Chickpea Soup. I know it may seem easier just to buy the ready made kind, but soup is incredibly easy and cheap to make. It’s also a great dish to start with if you’re a novice cook.
Leeks are part of the onion and garlic family and are in abundance during the springtime. This means they’re super cheap to buy and super yummy to eat at this time of year.
Just make sure you give them a really good wash before use as leeks are known to trap dirt in between their layers. The good news is they’re really easy to clean. Simply split the leeks in half length-ways using a sharp knife. Then you fan them out, rinse under a cold tap and you’re good to go.
I like to use tinned chickpeas to make this soup because it’s quicker and easier but feel free to prepare the chickpeas from scratch if you prefer. Go here to see how I like to do mine.
Sweet and mild in flavour when cooked, leeks are the perfect veggie to soupify (yes I just made that up). Combine them with chickpeas and veggie stock and you’ve got yourself a delicious, nourishing meal that will feed a whole army or provide you with a wholesome quick meal for weeks to come if you batch freeze.
Springtime Leek and Chickpea Soup
Serves 6
3-4 medium leeks (finely sliced)
400g tin chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1 small potato (peeled and diced)
1 tbs olive oil
2 cloves of garlic (finely sliced)
3 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- Into a medium/large pot, put 1 tablespoon of olive oil and gently heat on the stove. Add the leeks and garlic, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and let them sweat until they’ve gone all lovely and soft.
- Now add your chickpeas and diced potato and cook for around 1 minute.
- Slowly add your veggie stock and let the whole thing simmer, uncovered, for around 20 minutes.
- After the soup has been simmering for 20 minutes, take it off the heat. With a stick blender, blend your ingredients until they’re all combined into a lovely comforting puree.
- Time to give it taste. I find the vegetable stock provides enough saltiness but you can add some more now if you feel it needs it. I like too add a few good grindings of black pepper. Serve with some toasted sour dough bread or wholegrain crackers. Enjoy!
