L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 38 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES MICHELE BECCI THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017 W ith the weather turning quite chilly here on the east coast, I crave the simple pleasures of the season - the comforting aroma from a pot of soup simmering on the stove; an afternoon curled up near a fire with a good book or my sweetie; good conversation shared with friends over a long, lazy evening at the dinner table. A drizzly fall day kept me shel- tered inside this past weekend and was the perfect day to put up a pot of stock to slowly simmer away on the stove for hours. A peek inside the fridge revealed a huge bowl of freshly soaked chickpeas and some Tuscan kale hoping to be put to good use. Lunch and dinner were born. First a confession – I have not always loved chickpeas. In fact, I hated the little beasts growing up - the taste being way too pasty for my liking. Yet despite my whining, my mother put chickpeas in abso- lutely everything. Luckily for me, my whining ceased. I grew to love my little friends. I now find myself craving their delicious creamy tex- ture. Their versatile nature lends itself perfectly to use as a backdrop upon which to layer so many fla- vors and textures. Lunch was a quick but soul-sa- tisfying bowl of chickpeas simme- red in my almost-done broth. A touch of lemon and a drizzle of ex- tra virgin olive oil was all that was needed to elevate my little creation to star status. Dinner was a tasty combination of sausage, tomatoes, chickpeas and kale simmered into a tasty and hearty meal. So break out that bag of dried chickpeas and give them a good soak overnight. You will have a ta- sty pot of goodness from which to create a meal that will satisfy the soul. Chickpea, Sausage and Kale Soup Ingredients: • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • 1 pound sausage • 1 large onion, diced • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 bay leaf • 1 (28-ounce) can diced toma- toes • About 4 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade) • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • 3 cups of dried chickpeas, soaked overnight • 1 bunch of Tuscan kale Directions: 1. In a medium-sized dutch oven, heat the olive oil over me- dium heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned all over, tur- ning occasionally. The sausage does not have to be cooked all the way through as it will finish cooking in the soup. Remove the sausage to a bowl. Drain off all but a few tablespoons of oil. 2. Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and bay leaf. Stir to combine. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant and soft – about another minute. Add in the diced tomatoes and chicken stock and stir to combine. Allow to sim- mer for about 10 minutes to allow the tomatoes to break down a bit. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 3. Add in the chickpeas. Slice the sausage into rounds and add the sausage and any drippings to the pot. Bring to a simmer and al- low to simmer until the chickpeas are tender and creamy – about 1 hour. 4. Remove the bay leaf (or it will be difficult to find once you add in the kale). 5. Clean the kale. Remove the stems. Cut the leaves into long rib- bons. Add to the soup and stir to incorporate. Allow the soup to sim- mer for another 15 minutes to al- low the kale to soften. Adjust sea- sonings and serve. Simple Chickpea Soup Ingredients: • 2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • 1 small onion, diced fine • 2 small cloves of garlic or 1 large, diced • About 4 cups stock (pick your favorite; use homemade if at all possible but if you can't, pick a good quality broth) • Salt; freshly ground black pepper • Juice of 1/2 lemon (optio- nal) • Grated parmigiano (optio- nal) • Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle on top before serving (optional) Directions: 1. Heat the olive oil in a me- dium pot over medium heat. Add in the onion and sauté until tran- slucent and tender – about 5 mi- nutes. Add in the garlic and sauté just until fragrant and soft – about another minute. 2. Add the chickpeas to the pot. Add broth until the chickpeas are submerged about 1 inch. Bring the soup to a boil over medium heat then reduce to low and sim- mer. Allow the soup to simmer until the chickpeas are soft – about 1 hour. 3. Season with salt and freshly grated black pepper. (If you wish, you can puree some of the chick- peas and add them back into the pot for a thicker soup. You can add additional broth if it becomes too thick.) Add in the juice of the lemon and stir to incorporate. 4. Serve the soup in warmed bowls. Sprinkle with parmigiano or drizzle with some good quality olive oil. Joe and Michele Becci are a brother and sister team who love all things Italian. To- gether, from opposite coasts, they co-author the blog OurIta- lianTable.com. Chickpea love: simple soups to warm the soul Chickpeas are a staple of Italian cuisine, especially this time of the year

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