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Harissa butternut squash, red pepper and chickpea soup

On breezy evenings a nice mug of hearty soup feels warming and satisfying. This Harissa butternut squash, red pepper and chickpea soup is vegan, healthy, filling and yummy. Serve it with flatbread.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Cuisine: North African
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium butternut squash
  • 2 Romano red pepper
  • 1 red onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 3 cm piece turmeric root
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 Tbsp harissa paste
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • 750 ml vegetable stock
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tin chickpeas
  • 1 handful coriander leaves

Method
 

  1. Peel the butternut squash, then cut them into 3cm chunks. De-seed the peppers and cut them into small chunks. Set them aside.
  2. Peel and finely chop the onion, turmeric root and garlic.
  3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add and garlic and turmeric, stir for a couple of minutes.
  4. Add the squash and red pepper, then add the harissa paste and spices. Stir for a minute or so to coat the vegetables well. Add the stock and chopped tomatoes, then bring to the boil.
  5. Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaf and star anise. Put a lid on, turn down the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until tender.
  6. Turn off the heat and remove the cinnamon stick, bay leaf and star anise. Add half the chickpeas and the coriander leaves.
  7. Whiz it with a hand-held blender until you get a smooth or lightly textured soup.
  8. Stir in the remaining chickpeas and the lemon juice. Season with freshly ground pepper to your liking. Heat it up again until it starts boiling.
  9. Serve warm.