jump to recipe
This recipe for chard, broccoli and chickpea broth with basil and pine nuts is the latest in a monthly series of recipes I have created in partnership with Suma.
Each of these recipes has been inspired by products from Suma’s extensive range of organic and ethically sourced products, and the recipes appear both here on my blog and on the Suma website.
This hearty dish uses two of my favourite winter stalwarts from the vegetable garden – chard and purple sprouting broccoli. Combined with chickpeas, basil oil and pine nuts they help create a dish which is both full of seasonal goodness and utterly delicious.
chard, broccoli and chickpea broth with basil and pine nuts
Ingredients
350 g purple sprouting broccoli, including leaves
150 chard (I used rainbow chard)
400 g can organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
½ tsp chilli flakes
500 ml vegetable stock
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
for the basil oil
20 g basil leaves
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
to finish
40 g pine nuts, lightly toasted in a dry frying pan
30 g vegan or vegetarian Parmesan, grated (optional)
Method
1. For the basil oil, place the basil and olive oil in a pestle and mortar or a food processor and blend into a smooth paste. Set to one side.
2. Strip the chard and broccoli leaves from their stems and shred. Remove the florets from the broccoli stems. Chop the chard and broccoli stems into roughly 1 cm pieces.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large pan that has a lid over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, ad the sliced garlic and the chill flakes. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, ensuring the garlic does not burn. Add the chard and broccoli stems. Reduce the heat a little and cook gently, stirring every so often, for around 25 minutes or until the stems are starting to become tender. Stir in the shredded leaves and the broccoli florets. After two minutes, add the chickpeas, sea salt and the vegetable stock. Increase the heat to bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. Place the lid on the pan and cook for a further 15 minutes, stirring every so often, or until the green are just tender.
4. To serve, divide the broth between four bowls. Add a swirl of basil oil. Top with Parmesan, if using, and scatter over some toasted pine nuts.
Categories: dairy free, gluten free, vegan, vegetarian
Tags: Suma
This looks so delicious, on a cold winter’s day! Love all the components.
Thank you Dorothy x
Sounds amazing. I have a source of chard, but not purple sprouting broccoli.
Thanks Peggy. Calabrese/‘normal’ broccoli would be fine as a substitute x
This looks absolutely delightful and I so love to find something a little different . . . may have a little difficulty finding purple broccoli tho’ – the ordinary one may have to do !
Thank you Eha. It would work fine with that substitution. Steve x
This looks wonderful. I actually have all of the ingredients on hand so I may give this a try. I imagine this would make a very good pesto as well.
Thank you Vanessa x