Italian Chickpea Soup With Bacon Food

PASTA E CECI (ITALIAN CHICKPEA SOUP)

Steps:

• On medium heat, heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onion, celery and carrot. Add garlic when vegetables are about halfway cooked. Let cook until all vegetables are tender.
• Add crushed strained tomatoes, chick peas, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to the pot (note - when adding the chick peas, add the liquid from the can too. This will add extra flavor). Let the tomato sauce reduce until thick - about 30 minutes.
• Add chicken or vegetable broth to the pot. Let it come to a boil. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
• Add pasta to pot once the soup is boiling. Let pasta cook until it's soft. Since this is a soup, you want the consistency of the pasta to be cooked a bit more than al dente.
• Plate, and top with olive oil, parmesan and chili flakes.

ITALIAN CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• Heat a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the oil and heat until it shimmers.Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent, 9-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
• Add the tomato paste and work into the vegetables. Continue cooking until the color deepens, 2-3 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, 2 cups broth, chickpeas, italian seasoning, and ½ tsp each salt and pepper. Give everything a good stir and bring the liquid to a simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer, then cook 10 minutes to meld the flavors. Cook up to 30 minutes covered. If the soup is too thick or you'd prefer a brothier consistency, add more broth (up to 2 additional cups). I used 2.5 c broth total.
• Stir in the spinach and cook until just barely wilted, 1-2 minutes.
• Ladle into bowls and garnish with basil and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

HEARTY CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot add olive oil, minced onion, garlic and celery, sautee on low/medium heat for 2 minutes or until clear.
• Then add potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes, water and spices simmer on low/medium until tender and thickened (approximately 60 minutes).
• In the last 15 minutes cook the pasta until al dente then drain well (I prefer Orecchiette pasta in this soup).
• Remove half the cooked soup and blend until smooth, return to the pot, add the pasta and heat until hot. Serve with fresh grated parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy!

PASTA E CECI (ITALIAN PASTA AND CHICKPEA STEW)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not taking on any color, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary and red-pepper flakes, and cook 1 minute more. Season well with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the tomatoes and the chickpeas, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon or spatula and smashing about 1/2 cup of the beans.
• Add 3 cups water and bring to a boil over high. Add the pasta and simmer, stirring often to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan, until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. The water will mostly be absorbed by the pasta, but if you prefer it brothier, you can add 1/2 to 1 cup water and simmer until warmed through, 1 minute more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add the escarole and stir until wilted. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. Ladle into bowls and top with grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

COMFORT SOUP (CHICKPEA AND BACON)

Steps:

• Saute onion, garlic and bacon together until the onion is soft and translucent. Don't be tempted to drain the bacon fat (I use a rather lean bacon, anyway, and there's not that much fat - if you have tons of it, then remove some). Add the chickpeas, carrots, tomato paste, bay leaf and 1 1/2 quarts water. Season to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered for 1/2 an hour. Add the pearl barley and simmer for another 40-60 minutes, or until the chickpeas and barley are cooked through and the soup is quite thick (if the soup is too thick, thin with a little hot water until you achieve the consistency you desire).
• This was a really satisfying meal with a tossed green salad and garlic bread.