Ingredients
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 pound pancetta, cut in 1/2-inch dice
- 1 large onion, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch dice
- 2 celery ribs, cut in 1/2-inch dice
- 1 large or 2 small carrots peeled and cut in 1/2-inch dice
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed, divided
- 2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound chickpeas, soaked in water overnight
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 1 bundle fresh thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 quart water
- 3 sprigs rosemary, leaves finely chopped
- 5 to 6 (1/2-inch) slices country style bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Directions
Coat a large pot with olive oil, add the pancetta and bring to a medium heat. When the pancetta starts to become crispy, add the onion, celery, carrots, 3 cloves of garlic, pinch of crushed red pepper and season lightly with salt. Sweat the veggies for 6 to 7 minutes or until they become very aromatic and start to soften.
Drain the water from the soaked chickpeas, rinse and add to the pot. Add the chicken stock, thyme bundle, bay leaves and 1 quart of water. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until the chickpeas are very soft and falling apart, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Turn off the heat, season the water with salt and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
Fill a skillet with olive oil until it is about 1/2-inch deep, and the remaining 3 garlic cloves, the rosemary leaves and a pinch of crushed red pepper and bring it to a medium heat. Remove the garlic once it is golden; it has fulfilled its garlic destiny. Add the bread cubes and cook until they start to become crispy and golden. (They will absorb a LOT of the oil. That's why they taste good!) Season with salt and remove the croutons from the oil to a bowl, reserving the rosemary oil. MMMMM!
Add the infused oil to the soup. Puree the soup in a food processor, blender or good old fashioned food mill. Correct the consistency and seasoning, if necessary. If the soup is too thick, cook it a little more to reduce it, or thin it by adding more stock or water. Taste to be sure the seasoning is perfect.
Ladle the soup into serving bowls, top with the croutons and finish with a large drizzle of olive oil.
See ya ladle!
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By ustexasjoe
Austin, TX
on February 04, 2012
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This soup is extremely flavorful and rich and for that reason I give it 5 stars! There are two things I did that you should not do: 1 boil uncovered, and 2 chill in the refrigerator before pureeing in a food processor. If instead you cover your pot and use an immersion blender while the soup is warm, the consistency will be velvety smooth and the puree process and clean up will be far more pleasant. I know this because I made the soup twice and everything turned out better with these suggestions. Also, the second time around I used smoked ham instead of pancetta to make the soup less fatty and a bit healthier. Note: do not chill before you puree because the cold pancetta fat congeals, clumps, and clots during the puree process. You'll see these fat globules and think to yourself, "do I really want to put this in my body? Am I really going to add more oil later?" But when I used the immersion blender in warm soup made with ham, there was none of this kind of thinking.
By asidao_12433475
ann arbor, 62
on January 28, 2012
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I was feeling under the weather last night and really wanted some soup. But, not a lot in the pantry except for some garbanzo beans. Found this recipe, used thick applewood smoked bacon, no celery, did not add extra water and dried thyme. Had a bit of a mishap with the small Cuisinart food processor, but the end result was amazing. Squeezed a Meyer lemon slice before serving with warm, crusty bread and it was AMAZING!!!! Need to invest in a better and larger food processor and I'll be making this soup again ( :
By CitrusPunch
on December 19, 2011
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This makes more than 4 to 6 servings, unless you're eating from enormous bowls. While I thought the flavors were nicely developed, I found this soup to be too heavy and rich. My family agreed.
Read all 29 reviews