Spicy Mediterranean chickpea soup

Heat a stock pot on medium and add 45 ml extra virgin olive oil.

Roughly chop one medium onion, thinly slice two peeled carrots and roughly chop six garlic cloves, then add them to the pot and mix to coat in the oil.

Sauté about five minutes, stirring now and then; the pieces are large so it does not need constant stirring.

Add the dried cilantro, ground cumin, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper and saffron threads and mix quickly so they go fragrant.

Add 120 g tomato sauce, season with sea salt and a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper, mix well and simmer a few minutes.

Drain two cans of chickpeas in a colander and rinse them under water.

After the tomato sauce has simmered about four minutes and slightly thickened, add the drained chickpeas and 720 ml vegetable broth.

Add one bay leaf, turn the heat to high and mix gently. Once it boils, put the lid on and lower to a low heat.

Simmer about 15 minutes so the flavours develop.

Roughly chop 100 g fresh spinach on a cutting board.

Remove the lid and the bay leaf, add the chopped spinach and mix until lightly wilted.

Turn off the heat, squeeze in 15 ml fresh lemon juice and give it a final mix.

Transfer to a shallow bowl and top with chopped cilantro. Serve with a sliced baguette drizzled with olive oil.