Moroccan beef and chickpea soup

Making a pot of soup on a Sunday afternoon is incredibly satisfying. I'm not one to rigidly follow recipes - once you have a base of onion or leek, and have added your stock, you can mix it up with vegetable combinations. Seasoning is important, and you can have a lot of fun with garnishes - fresh herbs, a dollop of yoghurt or something creamy, lemon zest, a drizzle of good-quality oil: it's up to you. As the cold weather continues, try a new recipe and put your own stamp on it. I love a bit of chilli to add heat to my soup, and I can't go past a good-quality sourdough for my accompanying toast.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp	Olive oil
1	Brown onion, sliced
350 g	Beef casserole steak, cut into chunks (Main)
1 Tbsp	Tomato paste
1 can	Chickpeas, approx. 330g (Main)
2	Carrots, sliced
1 Tbsp	Harissa paste
1 tsp	Cinnamon
1 tsp	Ginger
1 tsp	Ground nutmeg
1 tsp	Chilli flakes
1 tsp	Cracked black pepper
1 tsp	Flaky sea salt
1 bunch	Flat leaf (Italian) parsley, roughly chopped
1 bunch	Coriander, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve
2 cups	Beef stock
1 Ltr	Water
1	Lemon, zested to serve
1 pottle	Greek-style plain yoghurt, or coconut yoghurt, for serving

Directions

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil and the onion. Saute a little, and then add the beef. Allow the beef to brown.
2. Add the tomato paste, chickpeas, carrots, and the spices and salt and pepper.
3. Continue to cook, then add the herbs and the stock and the water.
4. Reduce the heat to a simmer, then cover and cook for approximately 1.5 hours, until the beef is very tender.
5. Taste and adjust seasoning.
6. Serve with additional fresh coriander, and a dollop of yoghurt or coconut yoghurt. Sprinkle with lemon zest.

Another warming soup from Delaney

• Chicken, white been and silverbeet soup