Because of the tube strikes, I am working from home. Yesterday I tried to get in to work, but it took three hours to get nowhere, so I came home and made soup, because I was cold. I’d spied a jar of artichokes in the Co-op, and wanted to use those.

1 jar of marinated artichokes,  or a tin of hearts, cut in half
1 medium white onion
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tin white beans
1 chicken or veg stock cube (I used Knorr)

Gently fry onions and garlic in olive oil until soft.
Tip in the drained beans and artichokes
Add a stock cube and then pour in enough boiling water to cover the beans and ‘chokes.
Simmer for about half an hour. Taste and add more salt or pepper if wished.
Drizzle with a fruity extra virgin olive oil.

Happiness ensued. The green is some amazing Cypriot olive oil that I brought back from, well, Cyprus.

Today I wanted more soup. I had a cauliflower. I had onions. I’ve always got chick peas. Off I went.

1 small head of cauliflower, broken into florets.

1 stalk from the cauliflower, thinly sliced crosswise

1 medium onion, finely sliced into half rings

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Knorr chicken or veg stock cubes

1 tin drained chick peas

2 level tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

Sauté the sliced cauliflower stalks with the onions and garlic until softened.

Add the florets, and sprinkle with the spices.

Add the chickpeas.

Mix well and add enough boiling water to cover it all, and pop in the stock cubes.

Simmer until the cauliflower is cooked. Taste, and season if you think more salt is needed.

I also mixed in 1/2 teaspoon of tomato purée at this stage and simmered for another ten minutes.

Serve with barley rusks.