Zuppa di ceci

sundays seem to be turning into soup days. i like bringing my own food into work and can't bother thinking up something new every morning before work, so one-pot solutions are the easiest option.

one of these days i'll get organised to try these for lunch. but for the time being i'll stick with leftover or soups.

this past sunday i decided to make chickpea soup, or zuppa di ceci (pronounced che chi in italian). making it was a doddle and eating it this week for lunch has been a restorative remedy for the winter blues.

Zuppa di Ceci

500g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
garlic (1-2 cloves chopped depending on how garlicky you want it)
1 small dried chili
rosemary sprigs (i used 2 but was told that it could have been a lot more)
olive oil
2 medium tomatoes, skinned and chopped
small bunch swiss chard, finely shredded

1. Drain the chickpeas and put in a large pot with the onion, carrot and celery. Add 14 cups water -- if it doesn't all fit at once, add the water while the soup is cooking.


2. Bring to the boil and skim any scum off the top. Reduce the heat to medium and let cook uncovered for 1.5 hours, or until the chickpeas are butter soft. Add more water if you need it. When the chickpeas are close to being cooked through add salt and ground pepper to taste.


3. Puree 2/3 of the chickpea mixture in a blender and return to the pot with the rest of the soup. Add hot water if it seems too thick.


4. In a separate pot, heat the olive oil and add the chopped garlic, rosemary and chilli. When you start to smell the garlic add the chard. Saute for a few minutes until the chard starts to wilt. Add the chopped tomatoes, reduce the heat and cook for about 5-7 minutes or until the tomato mixture cooks down and thickens.


5. Remove the rosemary sprigs and stir the tomato mixture into the soup and let simmer over a low heat until the flavours come together (about another 10-15 minutes). Check for seasoning. Serve with grilled bread that has been rubbed with garlic and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.