Don’t let the ingredients overwhelm you, the hard part is chopping but you can do that ahead of time.  Avoid using a food processor for that because it’ll do it too fine and you’ll loose that rustic chunky consistency.  All ingredients are easy to get and the result will be well worth it.  So prep ahead and the cooking will be done in no time.

Time:

About 30 minutes

Serves:

6-10 (depending if it s a meal or an appetiser)

Good for:

• Easy to cook, quick on time, and low on utensils
• Very healthy and nutritious
• Exotic vegetarian option for appetisers
• Hearty soup for winters and colds

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion finely chopped.
• 3 garlic finely chopped.
• 1 teaspoon ginger.
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon powder.
• 2 cinnamon sticks.
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder.
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder.
• 2-3 chicken stock cubes or vegetarian stock cubes.
• 1 cup finely chopped leek.
• 1 cup finely chopped celery.
• 1 cup finely chopped tomato.
• 1 cup finely shopped coriander.
• 1 cup black lentil washed and soaked in water overnight.
• 1 cup dry chickpeas washed and soaked in water overnight. (you can also mix different grains, for example add yellow lentils if you like, whichever combination you like)
• Juice of 1 lemon.

Not a must:

• 2 or 3 chillies if you like it hot.

Kitchen things you’ll need:

• Colander to drain the legumes
• Knife and cutting board
• Large saucepan

Making it:

• Chop all your ingredients and soak the legumes ahead of time (even if it’s the night before to save you some time).
• Add the carrots to the milk in a deep saucepan and bring to boil.
• Fry the onion, garlic and ginger together in a pan.
• Drain the black lentils and chickpeas and add to the mixture.
• Then add the leek, celery and tomatoes all while continuing to stir.
• Add cinnamon powder, cinnamon sticks, coriander powder, stock cubes and cumin powder. Keep stirring on medium heat.
• Add the chillies if you like it a bit spicy, then add about 4-5 cups water making sure all the ingredients are covered with water.
• Boil for a bit, stirring occasionally, then simmer on low heat for an hour.
• Finish off by adding the lemon juice before serving.

Tips/notes:

• You can add Tobasco sauce for an extra kick, especially in winter or if you’re having it as a “cure-all medicine” for your cold.
• Serve with rustic Italian bread or toasted pita wedges.