Butternut squash soup is one of my favourite winter foods. It’s cosy, heartwarming and so comforting. I prepare it quite every week and every time I love to change the recipe a little bit. For this version I used chickpeas in the soup and as a topping to give a bit of crunchiness.
The chickpeas are mixed with oil, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, then pan fried or baked in the oven until golden and crunchy. They add flavour and texture to the soup making it way more tasty!
Butternut squash soup with crunchy paprika chickpeas.
Ingredients
- butternut squash peeled and seeds removed: 400 grams
- canned chickpeas drained and washed: 300 grams
- potatoes: 50 grams
- onion finely chopped: 1/2
- extra virgin olive oil: 2 tbsp
- vegetable stock: 600 milliliters
- salt to taste
- ground pepper to taste
- rosmary , sage, chives or thyme
- paprika sweet or smoked, to taste
Instructions
- Cut the butternut squash into small dices and set aside. Peel the potato and cut it into dices too.
- Heat about 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a big pot and fry the chopped onion for a couple of minutes.
- Add the diced squash and potato and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid the veggies to stick on the pot.
- Add half of the chickpeas (150 grams), season with salt and pepper to taste and cover with the vegetable stock.
- Bring to boil then simmer for 20 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
- Meanwhile prepare the crunchy chickpeas.
- Put the remaining chickpeas (150 grams) into a bowl, add a tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, season with salt, pepper and about 1 tsp of paprika. The quantity depends on your taste: if you love paprika 1 tsp could be too little but if you don't like paprika it could too much. So adjust the quantity to your liking.
- Mix well then stir fry in a pan on high heat until golden and crunchy.
- Once the soup is cooked, blend it whit a blender until creamy and smooth.
- Serve warm drizzled with oil and with the chickpeas on top. Add snipped fresh herbs on top and a little pepper.
