So I’ve hit that age where I’ve started cutting down on the carbs a bit. (Cath says she’s never going to hit that age). To be honest my take on abstinence involves little more than having a bit less pasta and a bit more sauce, or a bit less bread and a bit more cheese, so it’s not exactly hair shirt territory. But when I come across a low carb, stomach filling, delicious meal I feel the delight of a zealot. This soup is one such dish. Though, as Cathy is keen to point out, it’s even more heavenly with these cheesy carb-a-licious croutons.
Ingredients for 2
Ciabatta bread – 60g/2.1oz
Parmesan cheese – 40g/1.4oz
Extra virgin olive oil with thyme – 2 tblsp
Garlic – one clove
Rosemary – couple of springs
Extra virgin olive oil – 2 tblsp
Chickpeas – one 400g/14oz tin (240g/8.5oz net weight)
Vegetable stock – 400ml/13.5fl.oz
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Cut the bread into cubes and put in a bowl with the thyme oil and the grated parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Once everything is soaked up spread the bread on a baking tray and bake for about 10 minutes, till they’re crunchy and light brown.
Chop the garlic and gently sauté with the rosemary in the plain olive oil in a saucepan. Wash the chickpeas and add them to the saucepan with the stock. Season with salt and simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes.
Remove the rosemary and a few whole chickpeas and liquidise the rest. Get your serving bowls, pop some of the croutons in the bottom (if they are hidden they don’t count in the carb calculation, apparently) and fill with the soup. Make it look pretty with a few whole chickpeas, more croutons and a drizzle of thyme olive oil.
