Hearty Chickpea Soup

Minestra di Ceci in Italian. Another delicious recipe from Chef Fabio Trabocchi's book Cucina of Le Marche. It's easy to make with easy to find ingredients and it tastes fabulous. Chef Fabio says that this "rustic and filling one-pot meal" has "sustained poor Marchigiani families for generations".

1 ½ cups dried chickpeas, picked over and rinsed

1 tsp baking soda

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

¾ cup finely chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

10 oz prosciutto, cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 whole cloves

2 qts water

Kosher salt

¾ cup finely chopped celery

¾ cup finely chopped carrots

2 sprigs rosemary

1 bay leaf

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley

⅓ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and add the baking soda and enough water to cover them. (The baking soda will help soften the chickpeas.) Soak overnight at room temperature.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, prosciutto, and cloves, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onions are garlic are translucent. Add the chickpeas, water, and 1 teaspoon salt and increase the heat. When the water begins to simmer, add the celery, carrots, rosemary, and bay leaf. Partially cover the pot, reduce the heat, and simmer slowly, skimming as necessary, for 1 1/2 hours, or until the chickpeas are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Top with the parsley and grated Parmigiano. Grind black pepper over each bowl, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Buon Appetito!

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