Umbrian Chickpea Soup
When fall arrives and the il Buco kitchen starts turning out the legume soups, fragrant with chicken broth and Parmigiano-Reggiano, my appetite comes to life. Throw in some fresh veggies, wilted spinach, and those wonderful Umbrian ceci, or chickpeas, and that’s all I need to turn my day around. We have been importing our beans and legumes from Umbria for many years, working with wonderful producers like Cuore Verde and our friends the Marini brothers. The village of Castellucio is the top spot for lentil and ceci production, and a visit to that glorious plateau, paragliders coloring the sky, surrounded by poppy and ceci fields after a long windy travel through Norcia, reminds me why it is one of Umbria’s hidden gems.
Serves 4
For the chicken stock
½ pound raw chicken bones
1 small carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
2 celery ribs, trimmed and roughly chopped
1 large white onion, peeled and quartered
1½ teaspoons black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
For the soup
½ cup dried chickpeas, preferably Umbrian, soaked overnight in cold water, then drained
1 white onion, peeled and halved
1 carrot, peeled and halved
2 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 stalk celery, finely diced
2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
½ teaspoon chopped sage leaves
2 cups spinach
Freshly ground black pepper
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
¼ cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
1. To make the stock, preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Arrange the bones in large roasting pan and roast until evenly browned, about 30 to 45 minutes.
3. Transfer pan contents to a stockpot. Add the carrot, celery, onion, peppercorns, bay leaf, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 hours, skimming off any fat or froth. Strain the stock over a bowl and discard the solids.
4. For the soup, place the chickpeas in a large saucepan with one half of the onion, one half of the carrot, the garlic cloves, and the bay leaf. Add ½ teaspoon sea salt and enough water to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower to a simmer and let cook up to an hour, adding more water as needed to keep the chickpeas submerged, until they are tender. Drain, reserving the chickpea water, and discard the vegetables.
5. Meanwhile, finely dice the remaining onion and carrot halves. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery and sauté, stirring constantly, until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes.
6. Drizzle in the remaining olive oil, the reserved chickpea liquid, and approximately 1 quart of the chicken stock. Add the chickpeas, thyme leaves, sage, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes more.
7. To serve, season with sea salt, black pepper, and lemon juice. Garnish with chopped parsley and a few wide shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano.