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Garbonzo Bean Soup

I have been trying to eat more whole food, that is eating with ingredients that have 1 ingredient, such as an apple, or creating recipes from whole foods. I have found I love garbonzo beans, so I wanted to try making them from the bag of beans instead of from a can. One weekend I found just how easy it was to cook them following the directions on the package. First I soaked them for an hour in warm water. Just let the water boil and then turn it off and let them soak. I drained the water, added new water, and then simmered them on the stove for an hour and a half. I found I actually liked them even after a half hour of simmering, being less mushy and more firm. I ate them during the week just as they were as a side. However, I wanted to try something more, so the next weekend I made some Garbonzo Bean Soup. Goodness, even my husband liked it! So I am writing down the recipe here so that I can remember it for myself because I started with a recipe, but then veered far from it. For your information, garbonzo beans are also known as chickpeas.

 

1. Save the bean stock water from cooking the beans for the soup.

 

2. Chop an onion and sautee it in olive oil in the pot you are going to use for the soup, about 10 minutes. I left my pieces large because I thought only I was going to eat the soup and I like onions. However, my husband does not like pieces of onions, so next time after I cook the onions down, I am going to include them in the blender.

 

3. Blend 2 1/2 cups of bean stock water and 1 cup cooked garbonzo beans in the blender. Add the onions if desired for the picky onion eaters. Blend together another 2 1/2 cups of bean stock water and 1 cup cooked garbonzo beans in the blender. Add both to the pot. Purchased vegetable stock can also be used.

 

4. Add seasonings. Add salt. I had to add quite a bit of salt, tasting and adding, tasting, stirring, and adding, until it was just right. Add fresh mint, about a tablespoon. I have some spearmint from my garden that I have dried and jarred, but I suppose any crushed mint in a purchased jar would work as well. I could not taste the mint flavoring in the soup, but I believe this ingredient was necessary to counteract the beany-ness. Plus, the fresh herb in the soup looked so appealing. Add some minced garlic cloves. We like garlic so I tend to add more than other people might. I believe I added about 4 or 5 cloves. Add adobo seasoning. I sprinkled in a little bit, probably about 1/2 or 1 teaspoon. Add cummin to taste.

 

5. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the consistency preference. Cook less for more liquid soup and more for thick soup. Prepare toppings and sides. I made some bacon on the stovetop. Rather than adding it to the soup, we crumpled it on top of the soup as we ate. I found it was fun to actually use the bacon like a chip and the soup like a dip and thought about that being a great appetizer. We had some buttered bread as well, but crackers would do. I was going to cut up carrots and add them to the soup until my husband decided to eat with me, but raw cut carrots would make a great side as well. I thought about adding some more whole cooked beans to the soup.

 

I think this would be a great start to other recipes. I can see this blended garbonzo bean mixture to be used to thicken other soups, or using it as a dip. I also considered how healthy this recipe was without any cream or butter. It is merely beans and an onion and spices. However, I wondered what it would be like with cream.

 

December 19, 2018

 

Copyright Cheryl Rutledge-Brennecke
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