Chickpea, Fregola & Fennel Soup

This is based on a traditional Sardinian recipe. You can use chicken, fish, vegetable stock or water, though chicken stock is what we prefer.

ingredients

• 125 ml olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 fennel bulbs, bulbs finely diced and fronds trimmed and chopped
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 3 celery stalks, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 500 g drained tinned chickpeas
• 300 g fregola or pearl cous cous or risoni
• 5 tomatoes, sliced in half and grated
• 1.5 litres vegetable stock
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

method

Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, diced fennel, carrot, celery, garlic and bay leaves. Sweat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are translucent (but don’t allow them to colour). Add the chickpeas, fregola, grated tomato and the stock or water. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the fregola is al dente.

Season with salt and pepper and stir in the spinach leaves and the fennel fronds (reserve a few for garnishing).

Serve the soup in bowls, garnished with fennel fronds and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.