Minestra Di Ceci (umbrian Chickpea Soup)

Total Time: 6 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 6 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 lb dry chickpeas
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 10 leaves fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons parsley, minced (optional)
• fresh ground black pepper (optional)
• pecorino cheese, grated (optional)
• 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 small sprigs fresh rosemary

Recipe

• 1 soak chickpeas in full pot of cold water along with rosemary, sage, and salt. soak overnight, then drain the next morning. remove herbs.
• 2 refill slow cooker with water to 1 inch above chickpeas. cover and cook on low 5 hours.
• 3 combine 7 tablespoons of olive oil and rosemary in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a simmer to infuse the olive oil. remove from heat, discard the rosemary and set aside.
• 4 saute garlic, carrot, onion and celery in olive oil in skillet. season with salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes. set aside.
• 5 puree half of the chickpeas, along with several cups of broth from the cooker, in blender. return puree to slow cooker. add sauteed vegetables to cooker.
• 6 cover. cook on high 60 minutes.
• 7 serve the soup in warmed bowls with a drizzle of some of the remaining rosemary oil and sprinkle of parsley, black pepper and some grated pecorino if you wish.