Chickpeas Soup

Difficulty: Easy

Prep time:  10 mins

Cooking time: 42 min

Serving: 4 people

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil “IMPRONTA” plus more for serving
• 100g of thick-sliced Parma ham, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 200g of dried chickpeas, soaked for 24 hours
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 2l vegetable stock, heated
• 100g of spinach, or baby chard
• fine sea salt, as needed
• freshly ground black pepper, as needed

Method:

Heat the oil in a large pan set over a medium heat. Add the Parma ham and fry for 5 minutes, until the fat has rendered. Stir in the garlic, celery, carrot and onion and cook until soft, about ten minutes, stirring often.
Next, add the drained chickpeas and the chopped tomatoes. Cover with stock and place a lid on top. Simmer for about 40 minutes, or until the chickpeas are very tender and the soup has come to the desired thickness. Taste and season. Stir in the spinach of baby chard and allow them to wilt, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve with a swirl of extra virgin olive oil and black pepper to taste.