Minestrone mit Kichererbsen (minestrone with chickpeas)
A hearty minestrone built on dried chickpeas soaked overnight rather than tinned, since dried chickpeas cooked from scratch hold a firmer, more distinct bite that tinned ones, already fully softened, can't match after another hour of simmering in the soup. Adding the pasta only in the final stretch of cooking is what keeps it from turning to mush by the time everything else is done.
Prep30 min
Cook90 min
Rest600 min
Servings4
Christoph's minestrone with chickpeas, the dried chickpeas cooked from scratch for a firmer, more distinct bite than tinned.
Ingredients
Written for a 4 L pot
Units
Temperature
Servings
Soup
- 200 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in plenty of water rounded
- 150 g onion, finely chopped rounded
- 150 g carrot, diced rounded
- 150 g celery, diced rounded
- 2 garlic cloves rounded
- 40 ml olive oil rounded
- 400 g chopped tomatoes rounded
- 1 1/6 L vegetable broth rounded
- 150 g zucchini, diced rounded
- 100 g small soup pasta rounded
- 10 g dried oregano rounded
- to taste fine salt rounded
Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.
Method
- Drain the soaked chickpeas. Cover with fresh water in a pot and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, until fully tender with a firm bite. Drain and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, carrot, celery and garlic for 8 minutes, until softened.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the cooked chickpeas and zucchini. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the pasta and oregano in the final 8 to 10 minutes of cooking, until al dente. Season with salt.
Notes
- Cook dried chickpeas from scratch rather than using tinned. Chickpeas cooked this way hold a firmer, more distinct bite; tinned chickpeas are already fully softened and turn mushy after another hour of simmering in the soup.
- Add the pasta only in the last stretch of cooking. Pasta added early overcooks by the time the rest of the soup is ready and turns to mush; added late, it finishes exactly al dente alongside everything else.
- Soak the chickpeas overnight without skipping it. Unsoaked dried chickpeas take considerably longer to cook through evenly.
- It keeps and reheats well for 3 days, though if freezing, leave out the pasta and add fresh when reheating, since it turns mushy after freezing.
Ingredient substitutions
- Dried chickpeas can be swapped for tinned in a pinch, added along with the zucchini rather than cooked separately.
- Any small soup pasta works, such as ditalini or small shells.
- A drizzle of good olive oil over the top before serving adds extra depth.
From Christoph Mayer