Chickpea Soup With Fried Eggs

METHOD
Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan with a lid over a medium-high heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and fry, stirring often, until the onion begins to soften. Add the ground cumin and stir for 30 seconds to cook. Add the garlic and another pinch of salt and continue stirring until onions start to turn light brown. Watch closely so nothing catches and burns.

Stir in the chickpeas and squeeze in lemon juice to taste. Add the saffron powder, black pepper and the stock, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat slightly and leave to simmer while you fry the eggs.

Depending on how large your frying pan is, you will probably have to fry the eggs in batches. Heat ½ teaspoon oil per egg in a frying pan, ideally non- stick, over a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully crack in the eggs and as soon as the whites lose their translucency sprinkle the yolks with the paprika, a pinch of cumin and salt to taste, and continue frying until the whites are perfectly set. If you are cooking the eggs in batches, transfer then to a plate and keep hot until all are cooked.

When you are ready to serve, return the soup to the boil and adjust the salt and pepper, if necessary. Use the back of a large spoon or ladle to slightly crush some of the chickpeas against the side to the pan to thicken the soup slightly.

Ladle the soup into individual bowls,⁣ sprinkle with parsley and add a dollop⁣ of yogurt, harissa paste to taste, a few⁣ radish slices and a light dusting of⁣ paprika. Top each portion with a fried⁣ egg and another sprinkling of parsley⁣ and it’s ready to serve. I put extra⁣ harissa paste on the table for everyone⁣ to help themselves if they want extra⁣ heat.