British Mushy Pea and 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 saucepan. Cover with fresh cold water by at least 5cm, bring to the boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook for 45 to 55 minutes until completely tender. Drain and set aside, reserving 250ml of the cooking liquid.
2. While the chickpeas cook, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the noodles according to the packet directions until just tender, then drain and rinse briefly with cold water to stop cooking. Toss with a small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to prevent sticking and set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a large wide saucepan or deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and a pinch of salt. Sauté, stirring regularly, for 8 to 10 minutes until soft and translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
4. Add the frozen peas to the pan and pour in 200ml of the reserved chickpea cooking liquid. Stir and cook for 3 minutes until the peas are bright green and heated through. Remove about half the peas (roughly 150g) 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 whole grain mustard, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add the cooked chickpeas and the reserved whole peas back into the pan. If the sauce is very thick, add a little more chickpea cooking liquid, a splash at a time, to reach a creamy coating consistency. Season with salt and black pepper.
6. Add the torn kale leaves to the pan, pressing them down into the sauce. Cover with a lid and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the kale has wilted. 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 to warm the noodles through. Taste and adjust seasoning. Divide between four bowls and top each with 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.