RECIPE: Braised Chickpeas with Green Beans, Mushrooms & Parsley Pesto

    Serves 2-3IMG_6159.JPG

    For the chickpeas

    • 1 x 400g tin chickpeas
    • 1/2 head broccoli
    • 250g green beans
    • 200g chestnut mushrooms
    • 50g sundried tomatoes
    • 200ml vegetable stock
    • juice of 1/2 a lemon
    • pinch of Himalayan salt
    • freshly ground black pepper

    For the pesto

    • 1 clove of garlic
    • juice of 1/2 a lemon
    • 1/4 cup pine nuts
    • large bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley
    • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • salt & pepper to taste
    1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, if possible then soak them in filtered water for 2-8 hours. Drain and rinse again.
    2. Add them to a saucepan with the stock and lemon juice, bring to a simmer whilst you prep the rest of the ingredients.
    3. Top and tail the beans and separate the broccoli into florets, add these to the chickpeas, cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes until tender.
    4. Thickly slice the mushrooms and add to a frying pan, season with a pinch of salt and a few good grinds of black pepper. Cook on a gentle heat for 6-8 minutes until fragrant but not super soft. Add to the pan with the chickpeas.
    5. Chop the sundried tomatoes into pieces and stir through the chickpea mix, taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
    6. To make the pesto add all the ingredients except the oil to a food processor and blend until smooth, alternatively grind to a paste  using a pestle and mortar. Slowly add the oil until you reach your desired consistency, sometimes I choose to keep it as a drier paste to incorporate into the remaining braising liquid from the chickpeas.
    7. Divide between bowls and spoon over the pesto, serve with sweet potato wedges for the ultimate veggie feast.