When properly cooked,chickpeas are tender but never mushy,with a delicious,nutty flavour no other dried legume has.Marcel Aucar

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:6

This soup is a perfect winter warmer,and so simple. In Spain,chickpeas are a staple ingredient,frequently used in one-pot meals. The tasty legume has a great affinity for strong flavours such as pork,sausages,tomatoes,garlic,onions,pimenton and cumin. Dry chickpeas should be soaked overnight,or for at least eight hours in cold water,then simmered slowly until tender,for about two hours. In Australia I always look for kabuli chickpeas from the Ord River region of W

Ingredients

350g chorizo sausage
1 large brown onion,thinly sliced
1 red capsicum,seeded,cut into 1cm pieces
6 cloves garlic,minced
1 tbsp sweet paprika
2 tbsp fresh thyme,minced
400ml tin chopped tomatoes
1.5 cups chickpeas,soaked overnight then cooked until tender (about 2 hours on stove top,or 40 minutes in pressure cooker)
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley,chopped
Salt and pepper

Method

Add the chorizo sausage whole,onion and capsicum to a heavy-based five-litre pot with a small amount of oil,and cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat or until soft.
Add the garlic,paprika and thyme and cook for another couple of minutes,or until fragrant.
Add the cooked chickpeas and tomatoes and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil then lower to a simmer for about half an hour.
Before serving,remove the chorizo,chop it into 1cm slices,then return to the soup with the parsley. Season with salt and pepper then serve.
Tip: When cooking chickpeas after soaking overnight,cover them in warm water and cook with no salt as this hardens the surface of the chickpea. Once done,leave them to cool in the cooking liquid.