Chickpea soup with asparagus

Put the chickpeas, onion, garlic and stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the onion is very tender and the chickpeas are falling apart. If the mixture is becoming too thick, add a little more stock or water.

Ladle about one-third of the soup into a blender or food processor and purée it until it is smooth. Return the purpuréed soup to the pan and bring back to simmering point. Add the asparagus, cover the pan and cook gently for 5–6 minutes or until the asparagus is just tender.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling water for 10–12 minutes, or according to the packet instructions, until al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the soup with seasoning to taste.

Mix together the lemon zest and parsley for the garnish. Top each bowl of soup with a small spoonful of the lemon and parsley garnish, and serve immediately, offering lemon wedges so that the juice can be added to the soup to taste.