When winter settles in, there’s something deeply reassuring about a pot of soup on the stove. In Home Food, Sydney cook, writer and columnist Elizabeth Hewson leans into that comfort with recipes designed for real life: unfussy, flexible and full of flavour.
Hewson has built her career around what she calls “elegant ease” – simple cooking that coaxes maximum flavour from everyday ingredients. This winter warmer from her latest book captures that spirit beautifully – an easy soup that delivers comfort, nourishment and a little calm in every spoonful. Enjoy!
Elizabeth Hewson’s soup for exhausted people
2
10
minutes40
minutesIngredients
1 1 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1 400g can whole tomatoes
2 2 anchovies
1/2 1/2 red onion, roughly cut into chunks
40 g 40 butter
400 ml 400 water (use it to wash the tomato can out)
1 sprig 1 rosemary, 15-20cm or basil
- To serve
Olive oil, for drizzling
Lemon zest
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan
Pinch dried chilli flakes (optional)
Method
- Just before you dump everything in the pot, set aside 2 Tbsp of the chickpeas. Throw the rest of the chickpeas into a large saucepan with the canned tomatoes, anchovies, onion, butter, water and rosemary, and season with salt. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer away for 30 minutes, giving it a stir every now and then.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200˚C (400˚F) fan-forced. Toss the reserved chickpeas in olive oil and season with salt, then roast for 10 minutes, or until crispy. Set aside.
- When the soup is cooked, take it off the heat and set it aside for 5 minutes to cool down. Remove the stick of rosemary, then in a blender or using a stick blender, blitz for a few minutes until creamy and silky. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Serve in bowls with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of lemon zest, dried chilli flakes, Parmigiano and crisp chickpeas.
Notes
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