Pureed Chickpea Soup Passato Di Ceci Recipes

PUREED CHICKPEA SOUP - PASSATO DI CECI

Steps:

• Coat a large pot with olive oil, add the pancetta and bring to a medium heat. When it starts to become crispy, add the onion, celery, carrots, 3 cloves of garlic, pinch of crushed pepper and season lightly with salt.
• Sweat the veggies for 6 - 7 minutes or until they become very aromatic and begin to soften.
• Drain the water from the soaked chickpeas, rinse and add to the pot. Add the chicken stock, thyme bundle, bay leaves and 1 quart of water.
• Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until the chickpeas are very soft and falling apart, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
• Turn off the heat, season the water with salt and let sit for 15 - 20 minutes.
• Fill a skillet with olive oil until it is about 1/2 inch deep, add the remaining 3 garlic cloves, the rosemary leaves and a pinch of crushed pepper and bring it to a medium heat. Remove the garlic once it's golden.
• Add the bread cubes and cook until they start to become crispy and golden.
• Season with salt and remove the croutons from the oil to a bowl, reserving the rosemary oil.
• Add the infused oil to the soup, Puree the soup in a food processor, blender or food mill, correct the seasoning and consistency if necessary.
• If the soup is too thin, cook it a little more to reduce it, if it's too thick, thin it by adding more stock or water.
• Ladle the soup into serving bowls, top with the croutons and fried garlic chips and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

CHICKEN AND CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• Place chickpeas in large saucepan with enough water to cover by several inches. Add onion cut in half (with cloves) and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and cook 1 hour, until about halfway cooked. In the meantime, heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place chicken pieces, skin side down, in hot pot. Cook until evenly golden brown, about 5 minutes, then flip over and cook other side 5 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the pan and add diced mountain ham or bacon. Cook 5 minutes until crisp. If using bacon, drain excess fat. Add chopped onion, garlic, and saffron and stir. Cook until onions start to soften, then add white wine and scrape bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Add carrots, celery, cabbage, salt and pepper. Remove onion halves from chickpeas and add half cooked chickpeas and their cooking liquid to pot along with the 6 cups of stock or water. Bring pot to a boil, lower heat and simmer 45 minutes to an hour or until chicken and chickpeas are completely cooked. Stir in parsley and serve.

ZUPPA DI CECI

Steps:

• Line a pan with olive oil and add the onion, celery, garlic and rosemary. Cook on low until ingredients are color-less, about 20 minutes.
• Drain and rinse chickpeas. Add chickpeas and stock to the pan. Cook for half an hour on med-low. Remove half of the chickpeas from the pan and set aside.
• Puree the remaining soup to desired consistency and return to pan. Add back the reserved whole chickpeas and rice or pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Simmer until chickpeas are soft and riso is cooked.
• Note: If too think for liking, add water. Serve with olive oil and grated cheese.

PUREE OF CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• Soak the chickpeas in 1 quart water for six hours or overnight. Drain.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic, spices and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for about a minute, until the mixture is fragrant. Add the chickpeas and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer one hour. Add salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon) and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes to an hour. The beans should be very tender.
• Puree the soup in a blender (in small batches, covering the top with a dish towel to avoid hot splashes) or with an immersion blender until smooth. Put through a strainer for a very smooth texture, pushing it through with the bottom of a ladle or a spatula. Return to the pot, and heat through, stirring the bottom and sides of the pot so that the puree doesn't stick. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Serve, garnishing each bowl with a few drops of olive oil or lemon juice if desired and a sprinkle of chopped fresh mint.