Sopa De Grao A Alentejana - Chickpea Soup

MM Wants Chickpea and Chorizo Soup.   I don't have the ingredients (aside from the chickpeas, because I ALWAYS HAVE chickpeas!) so here's another recipe for the To Make At Some Point file here on the blog.

Via NPR - 

Recipe adapted from Food of Portugal By Jean Anderson (HarperCollins 1994).

 

Eve Turow for NPR

Makes 6 to 8 servings

• 4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 4 large yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons peanut, corn or vegetable oil
• 2 medium Yukon potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground coriander seeds
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 quart beef or chicken broth
• 2 cups canned chickpeas
• 1/2 pound pepperoni, chorizo or, if available, Portuguese chourico or linquica, sliced into 1/4-inch thick pieces
• 2 cups finely chopped spinach
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Stir-fry the garlic and onions in the oil in a large, heavy saucepan until translucent. Add the potatoes and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes. Add the herbs and cook over low heat for about 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the broth, chickpeas and sausage, raise the heat and bring the soup to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook slowly for about 1 hour or until everything is soft.

Ladle out 2 cups of soup, avoiding the sausage. Using an immersion blender or standing blender, blend the soup until smooth and add it back to the pot along with the spinach, stirring to mix everything together. Simmer another 10 to 20 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.