Recipe: Chick-Pea Soup (Italian)

CHICK-PEA SOUP

6 ounces dried chick-peas (1 cup) (or other dried legumes)
1 garlic clove
1 medium yellow onion, cut in half
3 to 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded (or 2 cups drained canned tomatoes)
1 stalk celery, including the top green leaves
1 bay leaf
1 small dried hot red chile pepper
Salt and Freshly-ground black pepper -- to taste
A little extra-virgin olive oil
A little finely-minced flat-leaf parsley

Put the chick-peas in a bowl, cover with cool water, and set aside to soak for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Then drain and place in a soup kettle with fresh cold water to cover to a depth of 1 inch. Put the kettle on medium-low heat and when the water commences to boil, lower the heat, cover the kettle, and simmer until the chick-peas are half-cooked -- about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the age of the beans. Add simmering water from time to time, if needed.

When you judge the chick-peas to be half-cooked, coarsely chop the garlic, onion halves, tomatoes, and celery and add to the pot, along with the bay leaf, chile pepper, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking, adding boiling water as necessary, until the chick-peas are tender. Remove the bay leaf and chile pepper.

Serve immediately, garnished with the olive oil and parsley.

Servings: 6
Source: Flavors of Puglia by Nancy Harmon Jenkins