Recipes › Chilli Pepper (Medium) › Chilli Pepper and Coconut Milk Soup with Crispy Chickpeas
Chilli Pepper and Coconut Milk Soup with Crispy Chickpeas
A velvety, fire-bright soup where medium chillies are roasted until their skins blister and sweeten before being blended with coconut milk and lemongrass. The crispy spiced chickpeas on top give you crunch and substance in every bowl. This is the kind of soup that makes a bowlful feel like a proper meal.
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Ingredients
- 8 Chilli Pepper (Medium), halved lengthways, seeds removed if you want less heat
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 600 ml vegetable stock
- 2 lemongrass stalks, bruised and cut into 5cm pieces
- 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 3 shallots, halved
- 3 cm fresh ginger, peeled and roughly sliced
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 400 g tinned chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted very dry
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 15 g fresh coriander, leaves picked (optional)
Contains: milk, nuts.
Method
- Heat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Place the chilli halves, shallots and unpeeled garlic cloves on a large baking tray, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with a pinch of salt. Roast for 25 minutes until the chillies are softened and beginning to char at the edges.About 25 min
- While the chillies roast, spread the dried chickpeas on a separate baking tray. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the smoked paprika, ground cumin and a good pinch of salt. Place in the oven alongside the chillies for the final 20 minutes of their roasting time, until the chickpeas are golden and crisp.About 20 min
- Remove everything from the oven. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and discard the skins. Transfer the chillies, shallots and garlic to a large saucepan. Add the lemongrass pieces, sliced ginger, vegetable stock and coconut milk. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.About 8 min
- Simmer the soup for 10 minutes to let the lemongrass and ginger infuse fully. Fish out and discard the lemongrass pieces.About 10 min
- Use a stick blender to blitz the soup until completely smooth. If using a jug blender, let the soup cool slightly before blending in batches with the lid held firmly. Return to the pan if needed.About 3 min
- Stir in the lime juice and caster sugar. Taste and adjust with more salt or lime juice as needed. The balance should be warm, fragrant and slightly sharp.
- Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Top with a generous pile of crispy chickpeas and scatter over the coriander leaves if using. Serve immediately so the chickpeas stay crunchy.
Tips
- Drying the chickpeas thoroughly before roasting is the single most important step — any moisture left on them and they'll steam rather than crisp. Lay them on a clean tea towel and press firmly.
- If your chillies are very ripe and red, they'll give the soup a beautiful deep orange colour. A mix of red and green chillies works well too.
- Make the soup base the day before if you're entertaining — the flavour deepens overnight. Crisp the chickpeas fresh before serving.
Ring the changes
- Stir a tablespoon of Thai red curry paste into the base before simmering if you want a deeper, more complex spice profile.
- Replace the chickpeas with cubed firm tofu, pressed dry and roasted in the same spices, for a different texture.
Keeping it
The blended soup keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days and freezes well for up to 2 months. Store the crispy chickpeas separately at room temperature and use within 24 hours — they will soften in the fridge.
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