Chickpea Soup

Adapted from Laura Calder

I love hummus, and really anything I've ever had with chickpeas - so this seemed like a logical dinner to counteract the buttery goodness of last night's meal. I'd never soaked chickpeas before, but I think its necessary here - you want to soak, then cook them, to get the desired texture. And its smooth baby, real smooth and super tasty! 

1 large onion
3 cloves of garlic
3 cups of dried chickpeas
5 cups or so of chicken stock, plus 1 cup water 
2 bay leaves
1/2 tbsp paprika, plus more for sprinkling
extra virgin olive oil
s & p

Peel and chop the onions and garlic (since it is going to be puréed, it can be a very rough chop).

In a large stockpot (I used my slow cooker), combine the onions, garlic, chickpeas, stock, bay leaf, and enough water to cover. 

Bring to a boil, then lower, and simmer. Continue to simmer until the chickpeas are cooked. Ensure they are at the cooked properly, or the soup will not be as silky as desired. (Probably 2 hrs, my slow cooker took about 4 hrs).

Remove the bay leaves.   Let the soup cool slightly.  Using an immersion blender, or regular blender (which I used), purée the soup. More water or stock may need to be added (mine was fine), to get it silky smooth. If using a blender, transfer the soup to a large bowl, so that the seasonings can be adjusted.

Stir in the paprika, a few good glugs of olive oil, and adjust the seasoning.

Serve with additional paprika and extra virgin olive oil if you like. Pita crisps would be nice here, but I don't have any - may need to accompany with Wasa crackers.