Chickpea soup

Categories : | All soups | Chickpeas | Italian | Pasta | MAIN INDEX |

Preparation Time : overnight soaking plus 5 minutes Cooking Time : 1 hour 20 minutes Serves : 4

Ingredients :

• 150g (5oz) dried chickpeas
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 12oz tin plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 lt. (1½ pints) water
• 1 tspn basil
• 1 chicken stock cube
• salt and pepper
• 120g (4oz) soup pasta
• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated

Preparation and Cooking Instructions :

1. Soak chickpeas overnight in enough water to cover by 1". Discard water in which the peas have soaked. Place the chickpeas in a large, heavy pan, and cover with 1" of water. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for about 1 hour until chickpeas are tender, ensuring that they do not boil dry.
2. Heat olive oil in a heavy pan, and sauté garlic cloves. When browned, remove and discard garlic cloves. Add tomatoes and their juice, water and basil, and cook together for 20 minutes.
3. Add drain chickpeas, crumbled stock cube, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well; simmer a further 10 minutes. Bring back to boil. Add pasta, and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.
4. Mix in half of the parmesan cheese. Adjust seasoning, and stir immediately, with remaining parmesan cheese sprinkled on top