Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 cup / 6 oz / 170 g dried black chickpea (ceci neri)
• 3 cups / 700 ml water
• 1/2 tablespoon / 7.5 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup / 240 ml chicken or vegetable broth, possibly homemade
• 1 bay leaf
• One 2-inch / 5-cm piece of kombu (optional, but recommended)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon / 7.5 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small leek, white and light green portion
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary needles
• A pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Note: The black chickpeas I used to create and refine this recipe come from southern Italy. It is possible to purchase Italian ceci neri online. There is also a variety grown in the US.

How to prepare the chickpeas

Rinse the chickpeas and let them soak overnight in 3 cups / 700 ml of water.

How to prepare the soup

Transfer the chickpeas and water to a saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat and keep the water bubbling vivaciously for 8-10 minutes, then turn down the heat.

In the meantime, warm up the olive oil in a small skillet, then add the shallot and stir well. Cook on gentle heat for several minutes, until softened, stirring often. Add the garlic, stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat. Warm up the broth until it is quite hot.

With a skimmer, remove any foam that forms on the surface of the chickpeas, then add the cooked shallot and garlic, the hot broth, the bay leaf and the kombu (if using). Bring back to a boil, turn down the hear and cook, covered, until the chickpeas are tender. The skin remains rather firm. When almost ready, add salt and stir.

Half an hour or so after the chickpeas have started cooking with the aromatics, slice the leek into thin half moons, and measure 1/4 cup / 60 ml. Wash leek carefully and drain. Warm up the other amount of olive oil in a small skillet, then add the leek and rosemary and stir well. Cook on gentle heat until the leek is soft, stirring often. Take off the heat, add the pepper and stir well. Set aside.

When the chickpeas are ready, add the leeks and stir. Let cool slightly, then ladle one cup of chickpeas and broth into the immersion blender cup or similar container. Blend to a creamy consistency. Pour the cream back into the saucepan, then briefly process the soup with the immersion blender. This creates a variety of textures: some chickpeas will remain whole, others will be broken more or less coarsely and some will be reduced to a cream.

Taste and adjust salt. Serve immediately or let the soup rest to let flavors blend. Serve the soup hot with small cubes of toasted bread.

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