Cream of Chickpea Soup (v)

Ingredients

• 45 oz chickpeas, drained and rinsed (3 cans)
• 15 oz diced tomatoes, un-drained (1 can)
• 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 C vegetable broth or water
• 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary or ¼ tsp dried
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 45 g grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 170 g fresh baby spinach, chopped, for additional greens

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Stir in the stock, tomatoes, chickpeas, rosemary, salt, pepper, and bring to a boil. If using spinach, add it here. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Purée with an immersion blender, stir in the vinegar, bring to a boil, and remove from heat.
4. Spoon 1½ C soup into each of 6 bowls and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.

Chef's Notes

• This is a vegetarian recipe - replace or omit the Parmesan cheese to make it vegan