Tuscan Chickpea Soup

My blogging friend Sheila recently returned from a vacation in Italy. On her blog, she shared pictures and cultural notes about the town of Cortona in Tuscany. I’ve never been there, so I really enjoyed Sheila’s photo tour. I even went a step farther and took a “culinary trip” to Tuscany :-)

I found the recipe for Tuscan chickpea soup on My Recipes. The soup is delicious and easy to make.



2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onion
8 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups water
1 teaspoon minced fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a cooking pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the water and the next 5 ingredients (water through tomatoes), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Place 2 cups soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Pour the pureed soup into a bowl. Repeat procedure with 2 cups soup. Return all pureed soup to pan. Stir in the vinegar, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Serve sprinkled with 1 tablespoon cheese.

Makes 6 servings.

I'm contributing this recipe to Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum and sharing it at Home Sweet Home Friday @ The Charm of Home.

I'm also joining Friday Potluck Recipe Hop @ EKat's Kitchen.