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Grano and Garbanzo Soup (Zuppa de Grano e Ceci)

Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 2 small cans garbanzo beans
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon chopped prosciutto ham
  • 1 tablespoon minced celery
  • 3/4 cup grano or Pearled Soft White Wheat ND
  • 1 quart chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 2 "pinches" freshly grated nutmeg
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • freshly chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

  • Using medium saucepan, heat olive oil and gently cook the onion, prosciutto and celery for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft but not browned.
  • Combine 6 cups water, salted as you would for pasta, and Grano in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring frequently, until Grano is tender but still chewy, about 30-35 minutes. Drain well. Add to the onion, prosciutto, celery mixture. Add chicken broth, marjoram, nutmeg, and bay leaves. Cook partially covered for 1 hour.
  • Drain the chickpeas, while saving the liquid. Using a food processor, puree chickpeas with 1 cup of the saved liquid. Add this to the Grano mixture. Add cooking liquid as necessary to make the resulting soup creamy in texture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped parsley and olive oil to suit.
  • Adapted from Purity Foods, Inc. recipe