Recipe: Sausage, Chickpea, and Potato Soup

SAUSAGE, CHICKPEA, AND POTATO SOUP

1 cup dried chickpeas or 1 pound cooked chickpeas
Salt
1/2 pound fresh Italian sausage
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for dribbling
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, minced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 small onion, peeled and sliced (1/2 cup)
1/3 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (14-ounce) can crushed Italian plum tomatoes
3/4 pound Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 cups chicken broth
Toasts of Tuscan Bread rubbed with raw garlic

If you are using dried chickpeas, bring water to a boil in a 4-quart pot and pour it over the chickpeas and 1 tablespoon salt (the salt is very important, helping the peas to soften.) Soak overnight. Drain and pour boiling water over them. Cover and cook for 45 minutes or until tender.

WHEN READY TO MAKE THE SOUP:
Remove the casing of the sausage and crumble the sausage. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 6-quart heavy-bottomed pot and add the crumbled sausage, rosemary and 1 garlic clove. Saute for a few minutes, stirring all the while. Transfer the sausage to a plate and discard the garlic.

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in the pot. Add the onion and the last 2 crushed garlic cloves and the red pepper flakes: cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

When the onion turns a rich tawny color, stir in the tomatoes. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring once in a while.

Add the chickpeas, potatoes and the reserved sausage; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt. Pour the broth in the pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and cook at a simmer for 40 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender.

VARIATION:
If desired, mash several potato cubes in the soup to thicken. Taste and correct the seasoning before serving. Place a toast rubbed with garlic in each soup plate; pour the soup over the bread and dribble olive oil on top of the soup.

Source: Soup of the Day by Lydie Marshall