Looking for vegan lunch ideas? Try this courgette, chickpea and pea soup by Roz Purcell
If you're looking for ways to increase your intake of greens, and make a meat-free lunch that's filling, this quick soup, created by cookery writer Roz Purcell, has become a firm favourite on our at-home menu. Peas are highly nutritious and a good source of protein - there's a reason why vegan protein powders are often made from peas, while chickpeas (a fellow legume) are similarly high in fibre and protein.
"All my favourite things are loaded into one bowl with this recipe," says Roz. "This soup is so smooth, creamy and, most importantly, fast."
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large courgettes, thinly sliced
800ml hot vegetable stock
1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed, with a few reserved as garnish
200g frozen peas, with a few defrosted peas reserved as garnish
4 tbsp vegan basil pesto, plus extra to garnish
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a high heat. Add the courgettes and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened.
Add the stock and simmer for eight to ten minutes, until the courgettes are fully cooked.
Stir in the chickpeas, frozen peas and pesto and cook for 1 minute. Blend until smooth with a hand-held blender and season to taste.
To serve, ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with extra pesto and the reserved chickpeas and peas.
Taken from Roz Purcell's No Fuss Vegan If you love the soup, try Roz's vegan shortbread recipe