recipe: Italian spinach and chickpea soup will warm and nourish you
Mary Bilyeu | Contributor
It only makes sense, then, to share a recipe that offers warmth and nutrition as well as exceptional depth of flavor.
I received a lovely marketing gift of Grana Padano, an Italian cheese that is similar to well-aged Parmesan with its grainy texture and nutty flavor. So, of course, I had to play with it! The soup is very nice on its own, but is really enriched and enhanced by the cheese.
So here's a lovely, fragrant, delicious dish made with chickpeas and spinach. Serve it with a good, crusty whole grain bread, and you've got a perfect light meal that's still hearty and comforting.
Italian Spinach and Chickpea Soup
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups water
2 teaspoons kosher salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup orzo
2 cups baby spinach leaves
grated Grana Padano or Parmesan, for serving
Heat oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, until lightly caramelized. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add chickpeas, rosemary, wine, water, salt, pepper, tomato sauce and orzo; bring to a boil, then cover and turn heat down to simmer for 1 hour. Stir occasionally to keep pasta from sticking.
Stir in spinach leaves and cook just until wilted. Serve immediately, topped with cheese.
Serves 4-6.
writes about her adventures in the kitchen - making dinner, celebrating holidays, entering cooking contests ... whatever strikes her fancy. She is also on a mission to find great deals for her Frugal Floozie Friday posts, seeking fabulous food at restaurants on the limited budget of only $5 per person. Feel free to email her with questions or comments or suggestions: yentamary@gmail.com.
You should also visit Mary's blog — Food Floozie — on which she enthuses and effuses over all things food-related.
The phrase "You Should Only Be Happy" (written in Hebrew on the stone pictured in this post) comes from Deuteronomy 16:15 and is a wish for all her readers - when you come to visit here, may you always be happy.
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