British-Style Chickpea Noodles with Leek, Mushroom and Brown Sauce

Ingredients

• 250g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water, then drained
• 300g dried egg noodles (100% durum wheat and egg, no additives), check ingredient list is flour, egg, water only
• 40g butter
• 2 leeks, white and pale green parts sliced into 1cm rounds
• 300g brown mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 400g tinned whole peeled tomatoes, tomatoes only, no citric acid or salt — crush by hand before using
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (raw, unfiltered)
• 1 tablespoon molasses, unsulphured, pure molasses
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 0.25 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (mustard seeds, vinegar, salt only), check ingredient list is clean
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• a handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, to serve

Method

1. Drain the soaked chickpeas and place in a medium saucepan. Cover with fresh cold water by about 5cm. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes until the chickpeas are completely tender but still holding their shape. Drain and set aside. (This step can be done the day before.)
2. While the chickpeas finish cooking, make the British brown sauce. Combine the crushed tinned tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, molasses, allspice, ground cloves, Dijon mustard, and black pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat and cook uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and reduced by about one third. Set aside.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the egg noodles according to the packet directions until just tender. Drain, toss with a small drizzle of butter to prevent sticking, and set aside.
4. Melt the butter in a large wide pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the sliced leeks and a pinch of salt. Sauté, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes until the leeks are soft and beginning to colour at the edges.
5. Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and increase the heat to high. Cook without stirring for 2 minutes to allow the mushrooms to brown on one side, then stir and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes until golden and any liquid has evaporated. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.
6. Add the cooked chickpeas to the pan and stir to combine with the leek and mushroom mixture. Pour in the brown sauce and toss everything together over medium heat for 2 minutes so the chickpeas are well coated and the sauce is bubbling.
7. Add the cooked noodles to the pan and toss thoroughly, using tongs or two spoons, until the noodles are evenly coated in the sauce and everything is well combined. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Serve immediately topped with chopped flat-leaf parsley.

Batch cooking tip

• Cook the chickpeas in a large batch and freeze half for another meal. The brown sauce can be made two days ahead and kept in a sealed jar in the fridge. Store the noodles and sauce mixture separately if possible, as the noodles will absorb the sauce on standing. When reheating, add a small splash of water to loosen and toss well before serving.