Spanish chickpea soup

6 servings

Quantity Ingredient
2 cups Dried Chickpeas
7 cups Chicken Stock Or Water
1½ large Yellow Onion
1 Carrot
2 Sprigs Thyme
1 Sprig Marjoram
2 Bay Leaves
2 Inches Orange Zest
1 bunch Parsley
Salt And Pepper
½ Stalk Celery
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1½ teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Red Wine Vinegar
1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Soak the chickpeas overnight in water. Drain and put them in a large pot and cover with the chicken stock or water. Add half an onion and half a carrot, peeled and a bouquet garni made with the thyme, marjoram, bay leaves, orange zest and most of the parsley. Bring to a simmer and cook until the chickpeas are tender, 1 to 2 hours, depending on the age of the chickpeas. Check after 1 hour and season with salt. When the chickpeas are cooked, discard the onion and carrot, taste for salt and adjust if necessary. While the beans are cooking, peel and chop the remaining onion and carrot and the celery into ¼" dice. Saute in the olive oil until the vegetables are thoroughly cooked. Season with salt and stir in the paprika, red wine vinegar and cayenne. Add the vegetables to the chickpeas and their liquid and simmer together for 20 minutes. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Puree ⅓ of the soup in the food processor and pass through a medium mesh sieve. Return the puree to the rest of the soup, check the consistency and thin out with a little water, if necessary, and taste and adjust the the seasoning. Serve garnished with the extra virgin olive oil and chopped parsley.

Recipe by: Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters By Meg Antczak <meginny@...> on Jun 14, 1998, converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

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