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Chickpea soup

Nowadays a popular winter warmer in the Alpine regions of Italy, chickpea soup used to be a main staple food of poor people in that part of the world.

Ingredients

• 400g tinned chickpeas, drained
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1clove garlic, finely diced
• a stalk celery, finely diced
• 200ml chicken stock
• 1 twig rosemary
• salt and white pepper
• olive oil

Method

1. In saucepan gently sweat shallot, garlic, celery and rosemary for about 15 minutes. When the shallot is soft but not browned, add chickpeas and chicken stock, simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove rosemary twig and puree mixture. Pass through sieve and return to saucepan, season to taste, adjust thickness with hot water (or stock), add some olive oil to serve.