Heat a stock pot with a medium heat and add in the olive oil

After a couple of minutes add in the blanched almonds and 3 cloves of garlic (skins removed), mix with the olive oil

In the meantime, finely chop the onion, roughly chop 4 cloves of garlic, finely chop the red bell pepper and cut the carrot (peeled) into small bite-sized pieces

After 4 to 5 minutes and the almonds and cloves of garlic are golden fried, remove them from the stock pot and transfer into a mortar, set aside

Using the same pan with the same heat, add in the chopped vegetables, mix continuously, after 3 to 4 minutes and the vegetables are lightly sauteed, add in the sherry vinegar, paprika, cumin and thyme, quickly mix together, then add in the grated tomatoes and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together and then simmer

After 3 to 4 minutes and the grated tomatoes have slightly thickened, add in the canned chickpeas (drained & rinsed), vegetable broth and bay leaf, raise to a high heat and give it a gentle mix, once it comes to a boil, place a lid on the stock pot and lower to a low medium heat

While the soup is simmering, move back to the mortar with the fried almonds and garlic, add in the chopped parsley and a pinch of sea salt, using a pestle pound down on the ingredients until you get a paste-like texture

After simmering the soup for about 10 minutes remove the lid, add in the almond and garlic mixture, give it a mix until well mixed together, then remove from the heat

Transfer the soup into shallow bowls and garnish with fresh parsley, enjoy!