my new favorite soup

Pasta and Chickpea Soup

(recipe and photo courtesy of Chat & Chew)

It's super easy - such a hearty soup and great combination of veggies, pasta & beans that I would have never thought of! I especially love the softened Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds!

Pasta & Chickpea Soup

1/8 pound prosciutto or ham, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, peeled and cut into chunks
1 medium carrot, cut into chunks
1 stalk celery, cut into chunks
1 large clove garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 4-inch square piece of Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (optional)
Salt and pepper
1 cup small pasta tubes (ditali)
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

By hand or in a food processor, finely chop together prosciutto or ham, red onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Set a 3 quart soup pot over medium heat and add olive oil. When oil is hot but not smoking, add the chopped mixture and cook 10 minutes until vegetables are softened.

Place tomatoes and their juice into a food processor and chop coarsely. Add to the sautéed vegetables along with the drained chickpeas, chicken broth, tomato paste, bay leaf and Parmigiano-Reggiano rind. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir.

Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the softened Parmigiano-Reggiano rind, cut it into 1/4-inch cubes and return to soup (soup can be made ahead to this point).

Just before serving, add pasta and rosemary to simmering soup. When pasta is al dente, ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle generously with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve immediately.

Link to Chat & Chew here.