Cabbage, chickpea and rice soup

I (and by extension, my fiance) sometimes switch to vegan eating for a month or two, particularly when I feel I’ve been overindulging and need to focus on healthy foods for a while. Having recently spent four days gorging on all-you-can-eat buffets at the Grand Kemang, the recipes I’ll be posting over the next couple of weeks will be low-calorie, healthy and mainly meat free (my concession is fish, which I simply cannot live without). To kick us off, here is the recipe for a simple and delicious cabbage, chickpea and rice soup, flavoured with chilli, thyme and dill. If you want to keep it even lighter you can omit the rice, but I find it helps transition the dish from a lunch to dinner meal.

Method 

In a large saucepan, heat the oil on a low heat and simmer the onion for about 3-4 minutes or until translucent and soft. Add garlic, chilli flakes, thyme and dill and stir for a further minute.

Add in carrot, zucchini, cabbage and rice and stir until coated with onions and spices, about 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until rice is cooked through. If you find the rice is absorbing too much of the broth, you can add more until it reaches the desired consistency. Before removing from heat, stir through chickpeas until warmed through.

Season with salt and pepper and top with fresh dill (if you can find it).