An Autumn Treat: Southern Italian Chicken-Chickpea Soup with Olives

This is an unusual take on chicken soup, from The Chicken Soup Book: Old and New Recipes from Around the World by Janet Hazen, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 1994. My husband and teens love this soup. It is hearty, aromatic, and flavorful. I like to use my own homemade chicken broth and cook my own chickpeas (garbanzos) for this recipe. The last broth I made was from barbecued chicken, and it added a lot to the flavor.

Ingredients

2 cups dried chickpeas (garbanzos), washed and sorted (about 6 cups cooked chickpeas)
2 bay leaves
1 large onion, cut into small dice
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used four large cloves)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 large bulbs fennel, trimmed and cut into small dice (I did not have fennel and used no substitute. Leeks could be substituted)
I tablespoon minced fresh thyme, oregano, sage and rosemary (I used about a teaspoon each of the dried herbs. Use less rosemary)
1 14-ounce can peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes (about 2 cups)
12 cups strong chicken broth (I used less)
2 cups chopped dark chicken meat (I used leftovers of white and dark meat)
1/2 cup finely chopped, pitted, oil-cured olives (I used black olives, and more of them)
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups fine bread crumbs (I omitted these)
1/2 cup finely minced fresh parsley (I didn't have fresh on hand, and sprinkled on a generous amount of dried parsley)
6 ounces finely-grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish (I forgot all about the cheese!)

My own additions:
2 carrots, peeled and chopped, sauteed with onions and garlic
2 stalks celery, same as above

Instructions

Soak the chickpeas in 8 cups of water overnight. Drain well and place in a 6-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan with 12 cups fresh water and the bay leaves.Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until the beans are tender. Drain well and set aside until needed.  (I cooked them in the crockpot on low all day with less water--they softened up beautifully!)

In a heavy-bottomed, 6-quart saucepan, cook the onion and garlic (and other vegetables, if you wish) in 1/4 of the olive oil over moderately high heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the fennel and herbs and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, chicken, and reserved chickpeas. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to moderate and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chick peas are very tender (I wouldn't cook the soup this long. If you cooked the chickpeas in the crockpot, they may already be tender, so add them later). Add the olives and season with salt and pepper.

In a large saute pan, heat the remaining olive oil over moderately high heat until it is hot, but not smoking. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring constantly, until they are golden brown and their aroma fills the air. Cool to room temperature before adding the parsley; mix well. Spoon the soup into individual bowls and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the bread crumb mixture to each. Garnish with some of the cheese and serve immediately. Serve the remaining cheese at the table. (I completely omitted this step!)

Makes about 16 cups


Hot soup for lunch or dinner....mmm!




Why not invite a friend for delicious leftovers?