Napa Valley Bath Co.

Posted on January 23, 2009 - by napavalleybath

Zuppa Di Ceci or Chickpea Soup

Living My Best Life

Zuppa di ceci….or Chickpea soup is another amazing cold weather soup….can you tell I’m having issues with the cold….I’m bonding with soups like I have never done before!

This is an “Emmy’s Choice” …. my picky vegetarian loves her Italian soups!  It is perfect because it is full of nutrients….very hearty…add salad and garlic bread for a meal!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. 2oz. Dried Chickpeas….soaked overnight
  • 2 Carrots – peeled and chopped
  • 1 Celery Stalk – peeled and chopped
  • 1 Medium Onion – peeled and chopped
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, peeled
  • 3 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
  • 1 Small Dried Red Chili
  • 3 1/2oz. Swiss Chard, trimmed and sliced
  • 5 1/2oz. pureed tomatoes….Muir Glen is my favorite if nothing fresh
  • Country French Bread…..sliced
  • St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil buy product

Instructions

  • Drain the chickpeas and put them in large stockpot. Add the onion, carrot and celery. Cover with 14 cups of cold water and bring to a boil….if the water doesn’t fit….add as it reduces. Skim the surface to remove any skum. Lower the heat slightly and cook, uncovered for a little over an hour…or until the chickpeas are tender. Add sea salt and fresh pepper half way through the boiling…..when done, puree 2/3rds of the chickpeas with their cooking liquid, leaving the remainder whole…similar to the cannellini beans in the Ribollita Recipe….we’ve got this part down now!

  • Drizzle our Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a saucepan and add chopped garlic clove, rosemary springs and the chili.  When you begin to smell the garlic, add the swiss chard.  Saute on medium heat for a couple of minutes and then add the tomatoes.  Saute until the tomatoes have cooked and blended in with the dish…remove the rosemary and discard.  Add this mix to the chickpea pot and simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors.  Add sea salt and fresh pepper to taste.

  • When you serve the soup, drizzle generous amount of our Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil with sea salt and fresh pepper

  • Serve with garlic toast…..toast or grill the sliced bread on both sides.  Rub one side with a clove of garlic and then drizzle with our Napa Valley Epstein Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil….


    • Again..there are many variations that we have come across…..Emmy’s favorite was when they added a bit of pasta to it….

    Buon Appetito!

    This entry was posted on Friday, January 23rd, 2009 at 8:45 am and is filed under Living My Best Life. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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