Rice and Chickpea Soup

Rice and chickpea soup is a delicious and nutritious dish, very versatile and suitable for the colder days. Here are the ingredients and the procedure.

Ingredients

• 200 g of dry chickpeas (or 400 g of already cooked canned chickpeas)
• 100 g of rice
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable broth or water as needed
• (Optional) grated Parmesan cheese to serve

Preparation

1. If you are using dry chickpeas, soak them in cold water for at least 12 hours. Then drain them and cook in fresh water for about 2 hours or until they become tender. If you’re using canned chickpeas, drain them and rinse under running water to remove the preserving liquid.
2. Clean and finely chop the carrot, celery, and onion. In a large pot, sauté the chopped vegetables in extra virgin olive oil together with the whole clove of garlic and the rosemary.
3. Add the cooked chickpeas to the pot and let them flavor for a few minutes with the sauté.
4. Add the rice and toast it for one minute, stirring well.
5. Cover everything with the vegetable broth or water, adjust with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. If you want a creamier effect, you can blend a part of the chickpeas before adding the rice.
6. Cook over low heat until the rice is cooked, about 15-18 minutes, adding more broth or water if necessary.
7. Remove the rosemary and the garlic clove.
8. Serve hot, with a sprinkling of Parmesan if liked.

Fun Fact

In Italy, especially in the central and southern regions, it is common to find soups and minestrone that combine legumes and cereals. This combination is not only tasty, but also has good nutritional value, as together they provide a complete supply of vegetable proteins. The rice and chickpea soup is a dish that lends itself to many variations, and sometimes is accompanied by toasted slices of homemade bread.