Italian Chickpea & Porcini Soup

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CHICKPEA SOUP WITH MUSHROOMS (serves 6)

 

1/2 pound dried chickpeas, rinsed and soaked overnight covered by about 4 inches

of cold water

 

1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms

 

1/2 small onion, coarsely chopped

 

1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped

 

1 clove garlic

 

1/4 cup fresh parsley

 

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

 

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

 

1.5 teaspoons coarse sea salt, divided

 

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

 

3/4 cup canned whole San Marzano tomatoes, hand-crushed

 

1 pound fresh mushrooms -- shiitake, portabello, and white button if available

 

black pepper, to taste

 

optional: fresh parmesan cheese, very thinly sliced

 

1.) Drain and rinse the chickpeas and put them in a soup pot, along with 2

quarts of water. Bring to a boil, add the dried porcini, and leave lid partially

covered while that gently bubbles.

 

2.) Put the onion, celery, fresh herbs, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a food

processor, and proces into a crunchy, paste-like consistency.

 

[This paste is used in various sauces, stews, and soups in food in Maremma,

Italy. It's called a pestata until it's browned in a skillet, at which point it

becomes a soffritto. See next step.)

 

3.) Put the oil in a skillet, and cook the paste over medium-high heat until it

starts to brown and stick to the skillet (about 4 minutes).

Add a few tablespoons of soup water to pull flavors of carmelized bits from

sides of pan.

 

4.) Add canned, hand-crushed crushed tomatoes, and scrape the paste into the

soup. Cook, uncovered, for about an hour.

 

5.) Add the fresh mushrooms and 1 teaspoon of salt. Let it continue to cook

another 45 minutes to an hour, or until the broth is thick and the chickpeas

tender.

 

6.) Pour soup into serving bowls and if using cheese, sprinkle some of that on

top. Drizzle with a little olive oil, and serve with warm crusty bread.