Instructions

1. Finely chop the onion, celery, garlic, bell pepper and carrot. Chop the aubergine and courgette into small chunks.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan and, under a lid, gently sauté the onion, celery, capers and carrot for 5 minutes.
3. Add the chilli flakes, garlic, dried herbs, pepper, aubergine and courgette to the pan. Put the back lid on and sauté for another 5 minutes or so.
4. Chop the tomatoes and add to the pan. Add the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and gently simmer for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add the stock and cook for another 10 minutes.
5. Remove the bay leaf, add the fresh herbs of your choice. Using a stick blender, purée it until you get a textured or creamy soup.
6. Add the drained chickpeas, reheat the soup, then serve. You can add some chopped herbs of your choice.