Bowl of Chickpea & Spinach Soup
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Chickpea & Spinach Soup


France - Provençe   -   Soupe de pois chiches et d'épinards
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 6 soup
***
Depends
Yes		 A popular soup from Provençe, very similar to soups from nearby Spain and Italy.

1
1
1
4
8
2
6
2
1
1/3
-----


#
t
c
oz
oz

c
T
t
t
---


Spinach, fresh (1)
Olive Oil
Chickpeas, cooked (2)  
Onion
Potato
Eggs
Water (3)
Olive Oil, ExtV
Salt
Pepper
-- Garnish
Bread squares (3)
Olive Oil ExtV

While the pattern recipe is fine for a small soup course as intended, I've made some additions to make it more suitable for buffet service or as a main dish soup (see Note-4). You may omit them if you wish.

Prep   -   (20 min to 9 hr, depends on Chickpeas)
  1. Float wash SPINACH, remove stems and spin in your salad spinner. Cook leaves lightly with 1 t Olive Oil (see Note-1). Squeeze out excess water and chop medium.
  2. If using dried CHICKPEAS soak and cook as explained in Note-2, drain. If using canned, drain and rinse.
  3. Crush about 2/3 of the Chickpeas fairly thoroughly.
  4. Chop ONION small.
  5. Dice POTATO about 1/2 inch. Hold in cold water until needed.
  6. Separate the Eggs. Beat the yolks lightly (and use the whites for some other purpose).
  7. Cut Bread (IF using - see Note-3) into crustless squares that will fit in the soup bowls.
Run   -   (20 min)
  1. In a large sauce pan heat Olive Oil and fry Onions until translucent.
  2. Stir in Chickpeas and 5 or 6 cups of Water (see Note-3). Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in Spinach and Potatoes. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until Potatoes are cooked through.
  4. Season soup with Salt and Pepper.
  5. Spoon a little of the soup into the Egg Yolks and stir well to loosen them. Stir Egg Yolk mix into the hot Soup, stirring vigorously as you do so.
  6. Bring back to a simmer and serve over squares of Bread (If using - see Note-3) and a drizzle of Olive Oil.
NOTES:

  1. Spinach:

      Weight is for a very good bunch which will yield 1 cup cooked. For complete details on preparation and cooking of spinach, see our Spinach page. The pattern recipe admits to using a 10 ounce package of frozen spinach.

  2. Chickpeas:

      (Garbanzo Beans) Generally canned Chickpeas are acceptable for this soup (1 15 oz can is about 1 cup). To get 1 cup from dried, soak 1/2 cup of dried beans for 8 hours with 1 t Salt. Drain, rinse and cook in lightly boiling water until tender (1/2 to 3/4 hour). For details, see our Chickpeas, (Kabul type) page.

  3. Bread / Water:

      This should be French or Italian bread, of course, not Wonder Bread® or similar. Serving soups over a slice of bread, or with a square on top to thicken the soup is typical French. Personally, I usually have my soup without it (but I'm not French). If you are skipping the bread, cut the amount of water back to about 5 cups.

  4. Changes:

      To make this recipe more suitable for larger portions, I've fried some Onion in Olive Oil (the pattern recipe had no onion and olive oil was used only as a seasoning after cooking) and some diced Potato. These additions are common in neighboring Spain and Portugal, so I'm confident they are also often used in Provençe (Italians use pasta rather than potatoes).
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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