Spicy vegetable soup

This spicy vegetable soup feels like just the thing to chase away the cold winter days. Packed full of vegetables, it’s warming, filling and nutritious!

Serves 4
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 sticks of celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 head of fennel, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tin of plum tomatoes
1 tin of chickpeas, drained
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
500 ml stock (I used chicken, recipe here)
1 tsp harissa per person
A sprinkling of finely-chopped parsley and basil
Grated parmesan

Add all the chopped vegetables and olive oil to a large saucepan and cook on a gentle heat until they begin to soften.

Stir through the tomato purée, then add the tin of tomatoes, chickpeas, thyme, oregano and stock. Fill the empty tomato tin with water, and add that to the pan. Bring to the boil then simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve in bowls, topped with a teaspoon of harissa, a sprinkling of fresh herbs and some freshly grated parmesan. You can adjust the amount of harissa – the more, the spicier!