Muhammara chickpea stew

• 75g walnuts or almonds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 x 200g jar roasted red peppers (drained weight 160g), or 3 roasted red peppers, peeled, de-seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons good-quality tomato purée
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, plus extra to finish
• 1 teaspoon Turkish chilli flakes or a pinch of normal dried chilli flakes
• 1 unwaxed lemon
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 x 400g tins chickpeas or cannellini beans or 1 x 660g jar
• 500ml hot vegetable stock
• 200g kale or greens, de-stemmed and torn into pieces
• A small bunch of mint, parsley or coriander, or a mixture, roughly chopped
• Rice, flatbreads or sourdough

Instructions

1. 1

   Put the nuts and cumin seeds into a casserole dish and toast until the nuts are just starting to turn golden and the cumin smells wonderful and has released its oils.

2. 2

   Tip into a food processor and add the red peppers (make sure these are drained if you are using from a jar).

3. 3

   Blitz to a paste, then add the tomato purée, pomegranate molasses, chilli flakes, juice of half the lemon and a good pinch of salt and pepper.

4. 4

   Blitz again for 2-3 minutes until completely smooth.

5. 5

   With the processor on, slowly pour in the oil and blitz until really smooth.

6. 6

   Taste, season if needed, and blitz again.

7. 7

   Keep tasting and balancing the flavours - you may need a bit more lemon juice, molasses or seasoning.

8. 8

   Tip the lot into a lidded pan with the chickpeas or cannellini beans and stock and bring to a gentle simmer for about 20 minutes.

9. 9

   Once the stew has thickened and tastes great, put the greens on top, cover and cook for a couple of minutes to wilt the greens, then take off the heat.

10. 10

    Scoop the greens off the top, divide the stew between bowls, then top with the greens and some more lemon juice.

11. 11

    Finish with the herbs.

12. 12

    Serve with rice, flatbreads or sourdough.