POMEGRANATE & CHICKPEA SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

1 x 400g can of chickpeas, drained

Half a brown onion, finely sliced

1 cup fresh coriander leaves

1 cup continental/flat leaf parsley

500ml vegetable stock

1 tablespoon Pomegranate Molasses

1 Pomegranate

Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

1.      Heat the onion in butter or oil until they become transparent.

2.      Add the chickpeas and stir for a couple of minutes until heated through. Also add the coriander, parsley, salt and pepper, stirring until fragrant.

3.      Stir through stock, and add Pomegranate molasses.

4.      Serve into bowls and sprinkle the seeds of the Pomegranate on top – about a quarter of a Pomegranate for each bowl.

This soup was inspired by a salad recipe my good friend Bessy generously donated to me. I didn’t want to have to wait til summer to taste the freshness again, so decided to try to make a soup-version for the colder months. The fresh herbs mixed with the tangy sweetness of the Pomegranate makes for a super tasty dish. This soup is zingy, and as you bite into the pomegranate seeds the burst of flavor means each mouthful has an experience of flavours. It’s different, and it’s yummy! I went back for seconds straight away :)

I'll admit when I first made this dish, I had to go on a bit of a hunt for ingredients. I found the Pomegranate at Harris Farm supermarkets - but this time the were conveniently at Coles.

The molasses came from an amazing store called Continental Foods in Artarmon, Sydney, that stocks a whole range of specialty foods.