Butternut Squash Soup With Spicy Chickpeas

This easy soup is the perfect comfort food.

It’s also a tasty way to get your daily vitamins, minerals, fibre and protein. Butternut squash is packed with carotenoids, which support the immune system and protect cells from damaging free radicals.

Adding chickpeas is a great way of bumping up the protein as well as giving the soup interesting texture.

Recipe: Adapted from Vegetarian Meals in 30 Minutes: More than 100 Delicious Meals for Fitness

Serves 4

2 tbsp light olive oil or rapeseed oil

1 onion, finely chopped

½ medium butternut squash (about 500 g), peeled and cut into 2cm (1in) cubes

1 carrot, peeled and sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated

Pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated (optional)

1 l vegetable stock

FOR THE SPICY CHICKPEAS:

400 g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil

1 tsp garam masala or ground cumin

¼ tsp turmeric

½ tsp paprika

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 190 °C/fan 170 °C/gas mark 5.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the butternut squash, carrot, garlic, ginger and nutmeg, if using. Stir and continue cooking for a few minutes.

Add the vegetable stock, bring to the boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Pat the chickpeas dry with a paper towel. In a medium bowl, combine the chickpeas, oil, cumin, turmeric, paprika, salt and pepper until the chickpeas are well coated. Spread them out on the baking tray and roast for 25 minutes, or until crispy. After 10 minutes, give the tray a shake to move the chickpeas around.

Remove the soup from the heat and liquidise with a stick blender or in a conventional blender until smooth. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve topped with a swirl of Greek yogurt, spicy chickpeas, chopped coriander and toasted pitta on the side.