Roasted Carrot & Cumin Soup with Chickpea Croutons

A velvety carrot soup spiked with cumin, topped with crispy roasted chickpeas instead of bread croutons. It's sweet, savoury, and deeply comforting.

Ingredients (Serves 3–4):

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 500g carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 750ml vegetable stock
• 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and patted dry
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Toss the chickpeas with a drizzle of oil, the paprika, and salt. Roast at 200°C (180°C fan) for 20–25 minutes until crisp.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pot. Cook the onion and carrots for 8–10 minutes. Add the cumin and cook for 1 minute.
3. Pour in the stock, simmer for 20 minutes until the carrots are tender. Blend until smooth. Season.
4. Serve the soup topped with the crunchy chickpeas.

Why it's gut-friendly: Carrots are rich in soluble fibre. Chickpeas are prebiotic. Cumin aids digestion.