Kathy Tsaples' Greek Chickpea Soup

ingredients

• 500g dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight
• 1-2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 150ml olive oil, plus extra for serving
• juice 1 lemon, or more if needed
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• dried oregano, sprinkling
• 1 bay leaf
• salt / pepper

method

Cooking method: Boiling

Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan, add the onion and saute until it starts to colour.

Meanwhile drain the chickpeas, rinse them under cold water and drain them again. Shake the colander or sieve to dry the chickpeas as much as possible, then add them to the pan. Turn the with a spatula for a few minutes to coat them well with the oil.

Add the celery and bay leaf, then pour enough hot water to submerge the contents of the pot by about 4 cm.

Bring to a boil. Skim off any white froth that rises to the surface using a slotted spoon. Lower the heat, add some pepper, cover and cook for 1-1.25 hours or until the chickpeas are soft.

When chickpeas are perfectly soft, add the lemon juice. Mix well, then add salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan and cook gently for 5-10 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

To thicken the soup slightly, take out about two cupfuls of the chickpeas and put them in a food processor. Make sure the chickpeas are broken up and remain slightly rough. Stir this into the soup in the pan and mix well.

Add the parsley and oregano, then taste the soup. If it seems a little bland, add more lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Serve in heated bowls and offer extra olive oil at the table for drizzling on top of the soup.