Chickpea Soup

By joanmarie

Ingredients

• 1 bunch Swiss chard or Tuscan kale, center stems removed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus EVOO to pass at the table and for drizzling
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 - 4 small ribs celery from the heart, chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped rosemary
• 2 - 3 large cloves garlic, chopped, plus 1 large clove garlic, halved
• 1 jalapeno chile pepper, finely chopped, or 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
• Salt and pepper
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 15 1/2 ounce cans chickpeas
• 1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, diced or crushed by hand
• 4 slices crusty Italian or peasant bread
• Flaky sea salt (optional)
• Minced red or white onions, for garnish
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for garnish

Details

Adapted from everydayrachelray.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a food processor, pulse the chard until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl, rinse out the food processor and return it to the base.
In a soup pot , heat 3 tbsp. olive oil, three turns of the pan, over medium-high. Add the carrots, chopped onion, celery, rosemary, chopped garlic and chile; season with salt and pepper. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but not brown, 7 to 8 minutes.
Stir in the stock, chickpeas and tomatoes. Transfer half the soup to the food processor and coarsely puree. Return to the pot and stir in the chard; season. Simmer, stirring often, until the flavors blend, about 5 minutes.
Preheat the broiler. Toast the bread under the broiler until charred, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Rub the toasts with the halved garlic clove, drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with sea salt. Place 1 toast in each soup bowl and top with soup. Garnish with the raw onion and cheese. Pass more EVOO at the table for drizzling.