Pea Chickpea Noodles

Ingredients

• 200g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water, then drained
• 300g dried egg-free flat wheat noodles (or dried rice noodles for vegan), check that ingredients are flour and water only; use a 100% rice or wheat noodle with no additives
• 3 leeks, white and pale green parts only, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves roughly torn
• 300g frozen peas, no added salt or additives
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard, ingredients should be mustard seeds, vinegar, salt only
• 40g butter
• a handful fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Method

1. Drain the soaked chickpeas and place them in a large saucepan. Cover with fresh cold water by at least 5 cm, bring to a rolling boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook for 45 to 55 minutes until completely tender when pressed between your fingers. Drain, reserving 250 ml of the cooking liquid, and set the chickpeas aside.
2. While the chickpeas are simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the 300 g of noodles according to the packet directions until just tender (usually 4 to 6 minutes for flat wheat noodles; follow packet for rice noodles). Drain and rinse briefly with cold water to stop cooking and prevent clumping. Spread the noodles loosely on a tray or leave them in the colander, tossing occasionally so they do not stick together, and set aside. No fat is needed if you toss them every few minutes.
3. Melt all 40 g of butter in a large wide saucepan or deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and a pinch of the fine sea salt. Sauté, stirring regularly, for 8 to 10 minutes until soft, translucent and completely collapsed but not browned. Add the minced garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
4. Add the 300 g of frozen peas to the pan and pour in 200 ml of the reserved chickpea cooking liquid. Stir and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes until the peas are bright green and heated through. Remove roughly half the peas (about 150 g) with a slotted spoon and set aside. Use a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to roughly crush the remaining peas in the pan into a coarse, thick sauce.
5. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of whole grain mustard, the lemon zest, and the lemon juice. Add the cooked chickpeas and the reserved whole peas back into the pan. If the sauce is very thick, add reserved chickpea cooking liquid a splash at a time (up to the remaining 50 ml) to reach a creamy coating consistency. Season with the remaining fine sea salt and all the black pepper, tasting as you go.
6. Add the torn kale leaves to the pan, pressing them down into the sauce. Cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until the kale has fully wilted and is tender. Remove the lid and stir to combine everything.
7. Add the drained noodles to the pan and toss gently to coat them in the sauce. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring, until the noodles are warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning. Divide between four bowls and top each portion with the torn fresh mint leaves.

Batch cooking tip

• Cook the chickpeas and noodles a day ahead and store them separately in the fridge. The pea and leek sauce keeps well for 4 days in a sealed container, so you can assemble bowls quickly on weeknights by reheating the sauce and tossing in the noodles. The sauce thickens as it sits, so always add a splash of water when reheating.