A brothy, chunky soup

featuring an all-star line up

A few small things from the last week or so:

~ I riffled through my collection of tights, darned those in desperate need, then tied them into satisfying knots to make the drawer more orderly. The drawer will be a scraggly mess within a few days but my intentions were good.

~ I gobbled up one of the best books I’ve read in quite a long time while I myself was gobbled up by a thick duvet. More on the book in the recommendations bit below today’s recipe.

~ In the hope of kicking a nasty cold, I have made my way through at least 18 knobbly fingers of fresh turmeric. My insides must be practically luminous at this point.

~ The ground is covered with a mulchy mix of fallen leaves, splattered sweet chestnut, and pristine conkers. If only it was ever dry enough in this country for the leaves to rustle.

~ I roasted a large tray of chicken wings, seasoned simply with salt and olive oil, with the sole intention of making litres and litres of stock for the freezer. Snacking on the crispy skin was an added bonus.

~ I’m currently writing this with my knees nestled as close as possible to the glowing logs in the wood burner. I fear the laptop is getting a little too toasty.

All of this is to say, now is the time for soup. The time for soup is now. And may I suggest this particular one… It’s chunky. It’s brothy. It’s dilly. The base gives a built-in topping. With a little time and care (just a little! this isn’t fussy!), a small number of ingredients turn into something much more than the sum of their parts.

Fennel, chickpea & dill soup