I cooked a very large meal. However, I did 80% of the cooking on Thursday evening. As a result, I only had to bake, reheat or finish my dishes. The only dishes I did not start on Thursday were the soup (I simply ran out of time) and dessert.
This soup is amazing. I loved it. You will too. There are a few key steps when preparing this, so make sure you don’t miss a step – it just won’t be the same!
Even Brenna couldn’t get enough!!! She scraped every last drop out of her bowl – so cute!
Chickpea and Porcini Soup
Ingredients:
1.5 c. dried chickpeas (or 2 cans of prepared chickpeas)
1/4 c. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small fresh rosemary sprig
1 T. tomato paste
4 c. vegetable stock
1/2 lb. porcini mushrooms
Procedures:
1. Pick over the dried chickpeas and discard any stones. Rinse under cold water and drain. Place in a large bowl covered generously with cold water. Let soak for at least 4 hours (overnight preferred).
2. Drain the chickpeas, rinse well and transfer to a large saucepan. Add 8 cups cold water. Bring to a boil. If you originally used dried chickpeas, boil for 2 hours. If you used canned, boil for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and let cool.
3. *IMPORTANT STEP* Remove the skins from the chickpeas. Trust me, this will make the soup extra smooth. It takes some time, but is well worth it!
4. In a soup pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, rosemary and mushrooms. Sauté until softened.
5. Stir in the chickpeas with 4 cups vegetable stock, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook about 30 minutes.
6. Remove the rosemary sprig. Working in batches, process the soup in a blender until smooth and creamy. Add vegetable stock as needed.
7. Return the soup to pot, bring to a simmer and serve hot.
My friends, I do hope you try this soon. It was not only my favorite course of the meal – but many others raved about this recipe!