Garbanzo pepper soup

It’s always useful to have a yummy soup recipe that can be made almost entirely from items in your pantry. This is one of those recipes.

p{color:gray}. Photo: Rosie wonders, “Soup? Did someone mention soup? Where’s my soup?”

I originally came across this recipe in Cat Cora’s “_Cooking from the Hip_”:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0618729909/octothorppres-20 (she calls hers “Chickpea and Roasted Red Pepper Soup”). I read an “article”:http://www.parents.com/recipes/entertaining/celebrity-chefs/cool-cat-cora/ featuring Cat Cora in the February 2008 issue of Parents magazine which inspired me to check out her cookbook. I wasn’t too crazy about the rest book, but this recipe is definitely a winner. Simple, tasty, and easy to improvise with — plus it cooks up into a luscious golden red color. I added quite a few touches that I think make it way better. Enjoy!

h3. Peppery Garbanzo Soup

Serves 4-6

1 T olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced (or pressed through a garlic press)
2 15-oz cans garbanzo beans, drained
1 t dried rosemary
4 c chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained (somewhere between 8-12 oz)
3-5 sun-dried tomato chicken sausages (we like the Trader Joe’s kind)
1-3 t fresh lemon juice, cooking sherry, or white wine vinegar
salt and pepper
flat leaf parsley (optional)
parmesan or feta cheese (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan (a Dutch oven works nicely) over medium-high heat. Sauté onion in the oil until nice and soft and starting to brown.

While the onion is cooking, crush up your dried rosemary. I used a mortar and pestle for this, but you could chop them with a knife or pulverize them with a spoon. (Of course, if you have fresh rosemary, use that! Increase the amount to 1 T and chop it finely.)

Once the onion is getting brown, add the garlic and sauté another minute or so. Add the garbanzos and rosemary, stirring well. Pour in the chicken broth, pop in the bay leaf, and bring the pot to a boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat to a simmer.

In a food processor or blender, purée the roasted red peppers. Toss that into the soup and simmer for at least 15 minutes (but it could go for up to an hour).

While the soup is simmering, slice the sausages — once lengthwise, then several times crosswise so you get bite-sized pieces. Heat up a large-ish nonstick frying pan. Brown the pieces of chicken sausage until they are crispy and tasty.

Remove bay leaf from the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add a couple teaspoons of lemon juice, sherry, or vinegar to brighten the flavors a bit. Spoon up each bowl with a handful of chicken sausage, then top with some chopped parsley, feta, or parmesan cheese, if you have it. Serve alongside some crusty bread and a green salad, and you’ve got a feast!