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I know, link I know. It’s cheating to re-post an old recipe, here but it’s just the right time for chickpea and bread soup. You see, for us Catholics it’s still Lent. And any good Catholic school girl knows that you shouldn’t eat meat on Fridays during Lent. And I honestly could care less about being meatless as long as I can have soup that’s as good as this. It’s kind of like French Onion soup, but the toasted chickpeas give it a slightly nutty flavor and make it more of a meal. Just perfect for Holy Week next week and pretty much any other time. Still one of my favorites!
3 tbsp. olive oil (or unsalted butter)
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 15 oz. cans chickpeas, drained and well rinsed
4 cups beef stock (or Veal stock if you can get it)
3/4 a baguette, cut into small chunks
4 – 5 oz. shredded cheese (I used jack, but Gruyere would be awesome here!)
Set a large, heavy pot over medium heat and add 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Saute the onions for 10 minutes, or until they’re soft and almost brown. Remove the onions to a bowl and set aside.
Add the rest of the olive oil to the pot, then the chickpeas. Toast the chickpeas until they’re golden on all sides, about 20 minutes. Resist the urge to stir them too often, or they won’t toast well. You should hear the chickpeas popping in the heat. Give them a good stir occasionally to make sure they’re not sticking, but don’t worry too much if they do.
Once your chickpeas are golden and toasted, add the stock, using a wooden spoon to scrape any chickpea residue from the bottom of the pot. Add the onions back into the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the bread.
Ladle the soup into oven-safe dishes or small pots. Sprinkle each one with cheese and place them under your oven’s broiler for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and browned. Remove carefully and serve immediately.
Makes 4 big bowls of soup.
My knowledge of Catholic traditions is fuzzy, but it seems to me that using beef or veal stock is still consuming meat. Do you think vegetable stock could be used with good results?
Athena – I’m not too strict :)
Yes, vegetable stock would be tasty. I might caramelize the onions for a bit longer if you go that route to give it a more “browned” flavor if that makes sense.
I am a traditional practicing Catholic and I have always made meatless soups for Lenten Fridays with chicken broth. It wasn’t until today that my husband made a comment about it. I don’t think it’s a big deal; fasting from meat on Fridays during Lent originated as a sacrifice – meat was expensive and the main protein around, so the idea was to take the money you would have spent on buying meat and give it to the poor. We maintain the practice today as a way of continuing that sacrifice, even though meat isn’t necessarily as expensive as some of the other meatless options out there (like seafood).
Anyway – this looks fabulous. I’m always looking for great meatless recipes regardless of the Liturgical calendar (and even though I haven’t been so good about going meatless this Lent, seeing as how I am pregnant and can’t seem to survive the day without something that isn’t beans, dairy, eggs or peanut butter….). Thanks for re-posting. Can’t wait to try it!
Yum! This looks fantastic! I may just make this for dinner tonight! Thanks!
Hi…since I’m new to your blog, I appreciate the re-post. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes…I’ve tried a few and they are wonderful! Loved the Guinness brownies on St. Patrick’s Day!
I am glad Ginny finally explained why I couldn’t eat meat on Fridays growing up! :) However, since no one is actually giving that saved money to the poor, why do people continue the tradition?
Anyway, I’m not a huge meat fan, so I’m looking forward to trying this & other recipes from this blog. Thanks!
This looks awesome. I can’t wait to try it!
OMG that looks and sounds so good I might just have to make that tonight…Man can SO live on bread (and chickpeas) alone…
It was delicious the first time around, and remains delicious. Thanks for reminding me of this gem!
I am a full time yacht chef (with no formal training)….and sometimes I just run out of ideas! It is soooo stressful trying to constantly impress the crew and more importantly…the guests with food! So here is a big thank you from the sea for creating this website with such fabulous recipes!!! (and especially with pictures!) Grazie Mille!!!!
I think that I have a girl crush on you right now. I just discovered your site after trying to find something new to make my husband for dinner. I have about two meals that I would call staples in my repertoire. Embarrassing! I will now be using your recipes as often as I possibly can! Hopefully you are finding tremendous success with this site, because you are amazing!
Yum! I just made this, with “no-chicken” broth and a splash of white wine to deglaze after sauteeing the onions. My bread was a hard-as-a-rock lump I’d been saving for this. Hard to cut up! For the cheese I used part English cheddar with mustard seed and ale, part four-cheese shredded blend stuff. The cheddar alone was good, but maybe too strong. Also threw in some black pepper and parsley. Mmm! Thanks for this recipe!