Cozy Squash Soup With Chickpea Salad Flatbreads

INGREDIENTS

1 large butternut squash (3 lbs)
½ a bunch of fresh thyme (½ oz)
2 heaping teaspoons harissa
olive oil
2 onions
1 fresh red chile
3 oranges
8 cups vegetable stock
1 x 19-oz can of chickpeas
1 large red onion
red wine vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
1 big bunch of fresh Italian parsley (2 oz)
3 tablespoons whole almonds
6 small whole wheat flatbreads
3 oz feta cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F. Halve the squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and chop into ¾-inch chunks. Place in a large roasting pan, strip over the thyme leaves, and toss with half the harissa and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Roast for 1 hour, or until golden and cooked through.

While the squash cooks, peel the onions and slice with the chile (seed if you like). Cook very gently in a casserole pan on the lowest heat with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a splash of water, stirring regularly and adding more water as needed. When the squash is done, add it to the pan, finely grate in the zest of 1 orange, cover with the stock, then bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Blitz with an immersion blender until smooth, loosening with water if needed, then have a taste and season carefully to perfection.

Meanwhile, drain the chickpeas and toss with the remaining harissa in a large non-stick frying pan on a high heat. Toast until crispy and on the edge of catching, then remove. Peel and very finely slice the red onion, ideally on a mandolin (use the guard!). Place in a bowl, then top, tail, peel, and segment the oranges, adding them to the bowl and squeezing any juice from the center over the top. Add 1 tablespoon each of vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, then pick in the parsley leaves, toss together, and season to perfection.

Return the frying pan to the heat and toast the almonds, then remove and finely chop while you quickly toast the flatbreads. Fold them in half, pile in the salad and chickpeas, crumble in the feta, then roll up and squash, ready for dunking. Divide the soup between bowls and scatter over the almonds.