Spanish Chickpea Soup

This is a lovely comforting soup, lifted by the addition of chorizo sausage. A popular winter soup in our house. Time does not include soaking time for chickpeas (though you can use tinned to save the effort)

• Ready In: 2 hrs 20 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8  ounces dried garbanzo beans
• 4 1⁄2 ounces chorizo sausage, cut into bite-size chunks
• 3  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1⁄2 onion
• 4 -5  whole cloves
• 2  teaspoons ground coriander
• 1  tablespoon  oil

• Garnish

•  sliced almonds, toasted
•  single cream

Directions

1. Soak the chickpeas on a bowl of water overnight, rinse and drain. You can used tinned chickpeas to skip this step, in which case just drain and rinse.
2. Heat the oil in a soup pan, fry the chunks of Chorizo until beginning to crisp before adding the chickpeas and cooking for a further 3-4 minutes, stirring.
3. Stud the onion with the whole cloves and add to the mixture in the pan along with the garlic and coriander.
4. Pour enough water over to cover ingredients with about ¼ inch to spare, cover with pan lid and simmer for 2 hours, checking every now and then to make sure water doesn't evaporate and adding more if needed.
5. Remove the clove studded onion and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Blend half the soup mixture until smooth, adding more water if necessary, then return to the pot, give a good mix and reheat.
7. Whilst reheating, toast some almond flakes until lightly brown under the grill.
8. Serve with a swirl of cream on the top and a sprinkling of the toasted, flaked almonds.