My sister served me this soup one afternoon and I was startled by how good it was. She's a great cook, but the ingredients list was just too simple. The first time I made it myself, I grilled her about the recipe - she must have left something out. After getting in trouble for doubting her, I agreed to try it without overly doctoring it up. It was great again. It reminds me to let the ingredients come out; it reminds me to cook with leeks more often. This recipe originally came from Jamie Oliver (who wrote that he got it from a friend), then I got it from my sis who had modified it a bit, and now I've made some adjustments. I love passing along recipes and watching them change.P.S. What am I going to do about all these lame soup photos? It's so hard to take a picture of soup!
Leek & Chick Pea Soup
serves 6 to 8 (I freeze it for lunches)
1 T butter
2 T olive oil
3 to 4 leeks (depending on size)
4 cloves of garlic
2 T of ground cumin
5 cups cooked Chick Peas (about 2 cups uncooked, or 2 cans)
8 little red potatoes, quartered
8 to 10 cups stock
bay leaf
salt & pepper
- Prep the leeks by first cutting off the tough green ends, then slicing them lengthwise before cutting into thin half-circles. Rinse them well - leeks are dirty.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large soup pot and then throw in the leeks and garlic. Cook these down until the pan is pretty dry (about 10 minutes, stir frequently).
- Sprinkle the cumin over this and continue to cook until the cumin is stuck to the pan (about 2 minutes)
- Add the potatoes, chick peas, bay leaf, salt & pepper, and 8 cups of stock.
- Simmer for 30 minutes to an hour. Add more stock if needed.
- Adjust the salt & pepper and serve with Parmesan cheese on top.
