Chickpea and Potato Soup

The Ingredients

1 can garbanzo beans, strained

4 potatoes, peeled

3 pieces of bacon

1/3 large white onion

2 roma tomatoes

olive oil (to coat the bottom of a pan)

2 ice trays of veggie stock

4 c water

salt

pepper

rosemary

thyme

I grew up eating a lot of chick peas, either with pasta or in a soup. The recipe below is the same one I have eaten many times thanks to my mother. The only change is that I added thyme. 

First, strain a can of garbanzo beans and set aside. Clean and peel 4 potatoes. Cube them into small pieces so 3 can easily fit onto a teaspoon/are just slightly larger than chickpeas. This is a sure-fire way to guarantee you get a few with each bite! Set aside the cubed potato pieces. Dice 2 roma tomatoes so they are similar in size to the other ingredients. Set aside. Dice 1/3 of a large white onion. This should yield about 1/4 cup. 

Lightly coat a pan with olive oil. When heated, throw on the onions so you hear that delicious sizzle. They should become translucent within a few minutes. As they are cooking, cut 3 pieces of bacon into small pieces a little smaller than chickpeas. When the onions have cooked down, add the bacon to the pan and cook for a few more minutes. Set aside. It should look like this:

Add two ice trays of veggie stock. I use my own, which I freeze and take out when needed. Then, throw in the bacon and onion mixture, potatoes, and tomatoes. Add 3 cups of water, some salt and pepper to taste, and a dash of rosemary and thyme. Both these herbs are extremely flavorful, but can be bitter if too much is used. Since the garbanzo beans are already cooked, they can be added to the crockpot once the potatoes are al dente. Keep on high heat for 2-3 hours.   

The smokiness of the bacon adds some great flavor, and the potatoes thicken up the mixture. So hearty and delicious on a snow day :).



Serious nom noms.