Chickpea Soup - {Zuppa Di Ceci}

Recipe Ingredients

1 lb	454g / 16oz	Dried chickpeas
1		Baking soda
1/4 cup	59ml	Olive oil - plus extra
2		Garlic cloves - finely chopped
1/2		Onion - finely chopped (large)
1		Carrot - finely chopped
1/2		Celery - finely chopped
		Finely-chopped Italian parsley - to taste
1 tablespoon	15ml	Finely-chopped rosemary leaves
1 lb	454g / 16oz	Pork riblets - cut 1" segments
1/4 lb	113g / 4oz	Pork skin piece (cotena) - diced
		(or 3 oz pancetta, diced)
1		Swiss chard bunch (large)

Recipe Instructions

Soak chickpeas at least 8 hours in abundant cold water to which pinch of baking soda has been added. Transfer soaked chickpeas to pot of tepid water and bring to boil.

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat, add garlic, onion, carrot and celery and saute until onion browns, about 5 minutes, to make tritata. Add parsley and rosemary toward end of sauteeing.

When chickpeas come to boil, skim foam off surface with slotted spatula, reduce heat to simmer and cook about 10 minutes. Add tritata to chickpeas, splashing a little cooking water into skillet to make sure every bit can be scraped into pot.

Meanwhile, slowly bring pork riblets and pork skin to boil in separate pan of water to de-fat them slightly. When meat comes to boil, reduce heat and gently simmer about 10 minutes, then add meat to soup pot. Leave soup to simmer until chickpeas are tender (depending on freshness of chickpeas, this can take 1 to 2 1/2 hours).

Soak Swiss chard; wash and cut white stems off at base. Cut chard leaves into fettuccine-wide ribbons. When chickpeas are just tender, add chard and cook 15 more minutes. Serve warm with drizzle of olive oil in each bowl added at table.

This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.

Each of 8 servings, without extra olive oil: 391 calories; 114 mg sodium; 25 mg cholesterol; 21 grams fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 16 grams protein; 2.57 grams fiber

Source:
The Los Angeles Times, 10-28-1998

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