I love making soups and this is one of my favourites. It’s from the book Polpo which as many of you will know is a chain of five Venetian small-plate restaurants in London including one in Brighton. The word “polpo” means octopus in Italian. In the forward of the recipe book, Russell Norman explains why he named his restaurants Polpo. The recipes have been written for normal quantities rather than small plates. Each recipe has very few ingredients. There are some superb recipes - flourless orange & almond cake is sublime and a favourite of mine; cod cheeks, lentils and salsa verde is a fabulous dish and there are several excellent risotto recipes.

Despite being quick and easy to make, it produces a sophisticated and subtle flavour. I’ve served it at dinner parties and it’s always a hit. I love a good drizzle of olive oil on it and a chunk of crusty bread in my hand or you could make croutons to sprinkle on it.

Chickpea, Leek & Fennel Soup

(Polpo book)

2 x 400g tins chickpea, drained and rinsed

2 litres vegetable stock (or chicken stock if not vegetarian or vegan)

Pinch of dried chilli

Extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots (or one large onion) finely diced

2 leeks cut into 1 cm pieces

2 fennel bulbs cut into 1 cm pieces

Salt and pepper

In a large heavy-based saucepan heat some olive oil and sweat the shallots (or onion), leeks and fennel until soft. Season with salt and pepper

Add the chickpeas and stock and simmer for 5 minutes

Remove a quarter of the vegetables & chickpeas with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Blend the remainder of the mixture until smooth. Add the whole chickpeas & vegetables back to the soup and season to taste

Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil and croutons or just a hunk of crusty bread on the side