Spinach and chick pea soup

4 servings

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
200gramsChick peas; soaked in water
; overnight
2Onion quarters
2Cloves; (2 to 3)
2Bay leaves
1Head garlic; (yes, that's a lot
; of cloves of
; garlic!) + 2 cloves
; garlic finely
; chopped
1tablespoonExtra virgin olive oil
1teaspoonSesame oil
500gramsFresh spinach
2Heaped Tbsp crumbled bread
3Heaped Tbsp chopped parsley
2tablespoonsChopped coriander leaves and/or
½teaspoonGround coriander
1teaspoonChilli sauce; (optional)
1tablespoonFinely diced tomato flesh
1tablespoonFinely diced capsicum
1tablespoonFinely diced Lebanese cucumber

Directions

TO SERVE COLD

Drain chick peas. Put in large pan, cover with water. Add a couple of onion quarters studded with cloves, the bay leaves and the whole head of garlic, removing the loose dry outer skin.

Simmer very slowly for an hour or so until the chick peas are cooked, still firm but not crunchy.

Strip the spinach leaves from the stalks. Wash and drain, but not too thoroughly, some water may remain on the leaves.

In a large pan, cook spinach leaves gently with the sesame oil until it has wilted (about 1 minute).

Remove spinach from pan.

In same pan, put oil, and add 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped, the bread, parsley and allow to cook for 2 or 3 minutes.

Crush mixture to a pulp with 2 or 3 tsp cooking water from the chick peas.

When chick peas are cooked, remove garlic head and onion segments.

Squeeze garlic paste from the garlic head.

Put garlic paste, spinach and bread mixture in with chick peas and cooking water. Add fresh and/or ground coriander and season to taste before serving.

Serve hot or chilled.

Leftover potential: Keeps two or three days in the refrigerator.

Converted by MC_Buster.

Per serving: 80 Calories (kcal); 6g Total Fat; (54% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 107mg Sodium Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Converted by MM_Buster v2.0n.