Chickpea Soup with Kale and Diavolicchio

Yield: 6 servings
Time:

Excellent, and the diavolicchio can be used in many other dishes

Ingredients

Diavolicchio

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Soup

• 1 pound dried chickpeas
• 7 cups water
• 2 gloves garlic, halved
• salt, to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage
• 1/2 cup chopped canned tomatoes
• 1 pound kale, thick ribs removed
• freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

Diavolicchio

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat to 165 degrees. Add the pepper flakes. Let cool. Transfer to a clean jar. Cover and let stand for at least 2 days before using.

Soup

1. Pick over chickpeas, discarding any broken or withered ones or stones. Put the chickpeas in a bowl, cover with water and let soak for 24 hours. Drain and rinse.
2. Put the chickpeas in a large saucepan; add the water and halved garlic cloves. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, skimming any foam. Cover, adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook the chickpeas for 1 hour or more, depending on their age, or until tender. Season with salt and let them cool in the cooking liquid. Drain when cool, reserving liquid.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, minced garlic, rosemary, and sage. Saute for about 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Add the chickpeas and tomatoes. Saute for 5 minutes, then set aside.
4. Chop the kale coarsely and put it in a large skilet with 1 cup of the chickpea liquid. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, or until kale is tender. Drain in a sieve, reserving any liquid.
5. Transfer the chickpea mixture to a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree, thinning with some of the reserved chickpea liquid added through the feed tube. Transfer the puree to a large pot and stir in the remaining chickpea liquid, kale liquid and kale. Season with salt and pepper, and heat through.
   Serve the soup in warm bowls, drizzling each portion with some of the diavolicchio. Pass additional diavolicchio at the table.

Source: from “The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook” by Michael Bauer and Fran Irwin