Italian Chickpea Soup Food

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.

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.

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!

ITALIAN CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• In a medium pot add olive oil, garlic, carrots, celery, salt, basil, oregano, thyme, hot pepper flakes, tomato puree, water and chick peas. Cook over medium heat till boiling, stirring till all ingredients are combined, once boiling reduce heat and continue cooking, stirring occasionally.
• Cook for approximately 50 to 60 minutes (don't be scared to taste, you must taste, you have to taste for salt and doneness). Once the beans are tender, add another cup of water (depending how soupy you like it you may want to add more water) bring to a boil and immediately add the small pasta (this is where you must taste again for salt) again stirring occasionally (so pasta doesn't stick to the bottom) and cook till al dente (about 5 minutes for small pasta).
• When done, turn off heat, serve immediately in soup bowls, topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy!

CHICKPEA SOUP I

Steps:

• In a saucepan, warm oil over moderate heat. Add onion, garlic, and sweet potatoes; saute 5 minutes.
• Stir in broth, bay leaf, basil, thyme, and paprika. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium low. Cover. Simmer until vegetables are tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in tomato, green beans, and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered until tender, about 10 minutes more. Serve hot.

INSTANT-POT ITALIAN CHICKPEA STEW WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Make the pesto:
• Combine the basil, oil, cheese, garlic, and pine nuts in a small food processor or blender. Pulse until a coarse paste forms, adding a tablespoon or two of water or more olive oil, if necessary to get a loose-enough consistency. Set aside 1/3 cup of pesto for this recipe; the remainder can be refrigerated in an airtight container for a week or so, or frozen for several months.
• Soak the chickpeas:
• In a large bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon of kosher salt in the water. Add the chickpeas and soak at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours. Drain and rinse.
• Sauté the onions:
• Preheat the Instant Pot by selecting Sauté and adjust to More for high heat. Add the olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion pieces separate and soften, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pressure cook:
• Add the drained chickpeas, carrots, tomatoes with their juice, stock, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Lock the lid into place. Select Manual; adjust the pressure to High and the time to 10 minutes. After cooking, naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure. Unlock and remove the lid.
• Serve the chickpeas:
• Ladle the chickpeas into bowls and top each with a spoonful of pesto. Sprinkle with the cheese and serve.

MINESTRA DE CECI (ITALIAN CHICKPEA AND PASTA SOUP)

Steps:

• Puree half the chickpeas with 1 cup of the stock or water in a blender or food processor. Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium flame. Add the garlic and rosemary and sauté until the garlic just begins to brown.
• Stir in the tomatoes and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
• Add the remaining stock, the chickpea puree and the remaining whole chickpeas.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 more minutes.
• Add the pasta and bring to a light boil until the pasta is cooked through, 8-10 minutes.
• Serve with crusty bread.
• *Variations.
• Use any small pasta for this soup: orzo, macaroni, shells. Or break spaghetti or capellini into small pieces.
• Stir in 2 cups chopped fresh spinach or chard in the last 5 minutes if you like.