Dee Nolan’s kabuli chickpeas, leek and green veggie soup

Late last year I bumped in to Dee Nolan at Sean’s and we soon got chatting about her amazing olive oils (Sean’s pours the Nolan’s Road Extra Virgin Delicate with the malt scrolls and cracked wheat log) and her organic, South Australian kabuli chickpeas – as well as the great deeds done in the SAKGP schools… Soon after I was the beneficiary at school of a wonderful gift from Nolan’s Road: a huge box of Dee’s chickpeas! Regular readers of this site will know how much I love to blend up these quick-cooking* chickpeas for Yotam’s hummus, but I’ve also been waiting for an excuse to simmer up some seasonal soup…

Rugged up against a cold, windy and rainy autumn day? Perfect!

Nolan’s Road delivery!

Fresh from the garden: potato, leeks, garlic, bok choy, cabbage, kale, spinach, silverbeet
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: about 6 or 30 tastes

What to do:

• Rinse soaked chickpeas, cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, slice off tough bits of leek skin.  Slit from top to bottom and rinse thoroughly under running water to get rid of any mud trapped between layers of the vegetable.  Slice finely.
• Peel the potato under running water and then slice finely using the mandoline.
• Peel and finely slice the garlic. Grate the parmesan.
• Warm a thick-bottomed pan, and add the tablespoon of oil and the knob of butter. Add the leeks and garlic to the pan and sweat gently with a good pinch of salt until tender and sweet – 5 minutes at least. Add the sliced potato and turn in the buttery mixture.
• Drain the chickpeas and then add to the leeks and sliced potato and cook for 1 minute. Add about two-thirds of the stock and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile wash the leafy veg thoroughly, shake dry and chop into bite-sized pieces.
• With about 5 minutes to go, add any veggie stalks in to the soup, and then after a minute or two add in the leaves, stirring to combine & wilt.
• Pour half the soup out into the 2nd pot and puree with the stick blender. Leave the other half whole, and then pour back in together – pureeing half gives a lovely smooth comforting feel but also keeps a bit of texture. Now add enough of the remaining stock to achieve the consistency you like.
• Check for seasoning, ladle into bowls to serve and add a sprinkle of parmesan to finish.

 Notes: Why do we soak the chickpeas overnight? What’s the number one rule with the mandoline? What is sweating the leeks?

Nolan’s Road kabuli chickpea, leek & green veggie soup

*If you’re researching recipes from European or US books or websites you may read that the chickpeas, once you’ve soaked them overnight, will need an hour or more of  boiling. I find that the Nolan’s Road chickpeas take less than half that time so start checking after about 20 minutes!

And PS. If you can be organised enough to soak your chickpeas in advance, DO IT!!! Whilst I also keep tins of chickpeas, borlotti beans, cannellini et al in my pantry, there is simply nothing better than long-soaked and freshly cooked ones, plus you avoid the nasty BPA-lined tins. Hooray!