Kale and Chickpea Soup with Lemon

Ingredients

• •2 banana shallots
• •1 bay leaf
• •400 g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• •1 stick celery
• •¼ tsp chilli flakes
• •crusty bread
• •1 garlic clove
• •½ lemon
• •1 slice lemon
• •200 g kale
• •1 Tbsp olive oil
• •parmesan cheese
• •2 stalks rosemary
• •salt
• •800 ml vegetable or chicken stock

Method

Adapted from foodista.com

1. 1Set a dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat; pour in the olive oil.
2. 2Finely dice the shallots and add to the pan, stirring to coat with the oil.
3. 3Make 4 or 5 long horizontal slices in the celery stalk and dice.
4. 4Add this to the pan and stir.
5. 5Finely chop the rosemary leaves and stir into the pan together with the bay leaf and the chilli flakes.
6. 6Peel the garlic clove and using the flat of your knife and the heel of your hand, crush so that it is still whole and add to pan.
7. 7Add the chickpeas and the kale and stir.
8. 8Pour in the hot stock, let it come to a boil and turn down the heat.
9. 9Let it simmer for 20 minutes until the kale is tender.
10. 10Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon.
11. 11Check the seasoning and adjust to taste. You might want more lemon or salt it all depends on what you have used for the stock.
12. 12Working in batches or in the pan itself if you have a stick blender, blitz until you have the texture you like. I like mine to still have a few chickpeas and pieces of kale through it so I set aside a couple of ladlefuls and used a stick blender to blitz the rest.
13. 13Serve hot, floating a couple of slices of lemon on top of each serving and pass round the parmesan cheese for everyone to help themselves. Lovely with toasted crusty bread.