Tuscan Chickpea Soup

By CarolM-2

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups finely chopped onion
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese $

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the water and the next 5 ingredients (water through tomatoes), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Place 2 cups soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Pour the pureed soup into a bowl. Repeat procedure with 2 cups soup. Return all pureed soup to pan. Stir in the vinegar, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Spoon 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.