Chickpea and Leek Soup
I typed this out to e-mail to a friend of mine, so I figured I'd post it here too. I really liked this soup, but since I can't have chickpeas, I can't make it anymore. It takes planning, but isn't hard to make. I've made this post public, so feel free to share.
Chickpea and Leek Soup (from Jamie Oliver's The Naked Chef cookbook)
12oz chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 medium potato, peeled
5 medium leeks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
extra-virgin olive oil
Rinse the soaked chickpeas, cover with water and cook with the potato (for about an hour) until tender. Remove the outer skin of the leeks, slice lengthways from the root up, wash carefully and slice finely.
Warm a thick-bottomed pan, and add the oil and the butter. Add the leeks and garlic to the pan, and cook gently with a pinch of salt until tender and sweet. Add the drained chickpeas and potato and cook for 1 minute. Add 2/3 of the stock and simmer for 15 minutes.
Now you decide how much you want puréed. I usually purée about half in a food processor. This gives a nice texture. Add as much remaining stock to get the desired consistency. Check for seasoning, and add the Parmesan to round off the flavours.
To serve, drizzle with olive oil (or alternatively, a nice spicy oil is good), add a bit of fresh ground black pepper, and a bit of Parmesan cheese.
Makes approximately 6 servings.
Chickpea and Leek Soup (from Jamie Oliver's The Naked Chef cookbook)
12oz chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 medium potato, peeled
5 medium leeks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
extra-virgin olive oil
Rinse the soaked chickpeas, cover with water and cook with the potato (for about an hour) until tender. Remove the outer skin of the leeks, slice lengthways from the root up, wash carefully and slice finely.
Warm a thick-bottomed pan, and add the oil and the butter. Add the leeks and garlic to the pan, and cook gently with a pinch of salt until tender and sweet. Add the drained chickpeas and potato and cook for 1 minute. Add 2/3 of the stock and simmer for 15 minutes.
Now you decide how much you want puréed. I usually purée about half in a food processor. This gives a nice texture. Add as much remaining stock to get the desired consistency. Check for seasoning, and add the Parmesan to round off the flavours.
To serve, drizzle with olive oil (or alternatively, a nice spicy oil is good), add a bit of fresh ground black pepper, and a bit of Parmesan cheese.
Makes approximately 6 servings.