If you like thick, hearty soups then this Ligurian recipe is for you! Chickpeas, also known as “garbanzo beans,” provide a filling base for a savory mushroom-flavored soup.
A Note on Chickpeas
This recipe calls for pre-cooked chickpeas. You can cook them yourself, from dried, measuring about half the final desired weight (in this case, you would cook 200 grams of dry chickpeas to arrive at about 400 grams of cooked chickpeas).
To cook dry chickpeas, soak them in water and a small spoonful of baking soda overnight. The next day, thoroughly drain and rinse the chickpeas, then place them in a pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil, partially cover the pot, and cook the chickpeas until they are soft and tender but not mushy (it can take 30 minutes to one hour, depending on the quantity).
Occasionally stir the chickpeas by gently swirling the pot. If the water reduces too much, add more warm water to keep the chickpeas covered. When cooked, salt the chickpeas to taste and turn off the heat, keeping them in the water where they were cooked and using a slotted spoon to remove them when it’s time to make the soup.
You can also use canned chickpeas. In this case, drain the chickpeas (note that the weight listed below is for drained chickpeas) before adding them into the soup.
Making Your Own Vegetable Broth
To make this soup, you will need vegetable broth (the amount is really up to you, based on how “soupy” you like your soup). You can use pre-made broth, but it’s even better to make your own.
To make your own broth, fill a medium pot with water. Cut 1 onion, 1 large carrot, and 2 celery ribs into quarters and add them into the water. Bring the pot to a boil and let it cook for about 30 minutes, then salt it to taste and turn off the heat.
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CECI IN ZIMINO RECIPE
Makes: 4 servings
Cook Time: 1 hour
For this recipe, you will need:
1 ounce (30 g) dried mushrooms (preferably porcini, but other “gourmet” mushrooms will work)
Vegetable broth (see above)
3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for topping
½ large carrot, diced
¼ white onion, diced
1 celery rib, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 tablespoon diced rosemary
⅔ cup (160 ml) tomato puree
10.5 ounces (300 g) Swiss chard, trimmed and roughly chopped
14 ounces (400 g) cooked chickpeas (see above)
Salt
Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl of warm water and soak for 20 minutes. Drain them, squeeze out the excess moisture, and finely chop the mushrooms. Bring the vegetable broth to a simmer in a medium pot.
Place the olive oil, carrot, onion, celery, garlic, rosemary and chopped mushrooms in a heavy pot. Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then stir in the tomato puree. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then add the Swiss chard and cover the pot.
Let the Swiss chard self-steam until it wilts completely—about 5 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and add vegetable broth to taste. The amount of vegetable broth can be adjusted to your liking: use less for a thicker soup, or more for a “soupier” soup. Lightly salt the soup to taste.
Bring the soup to a simmer, partially cover the pot, and let it cook for 30 minutes. As the soup nears completion, add more broth as needed to maintain the consistency you prefer, and salt it again to taste.
Serve warm, with a drizzle of olive oil on top.
Buon appetito!