Chickpea Soup

This is a nice little soup I made this morning because I only have cabbage in my fridge. When I was in Greece last summer, we ate mostly beans cooked in a variety of ways, but always with olive oil and oregano.

Since I used dried chickpeas, I had to start the night before. You could use canned chickpeas, but I find that the flavor is not as nice and they have a lot more salt.

Chickpea Soup

Yield: About 3 servings, depending on what you consider a serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried chickpeas or 2 cups cooked/canned
• 1/2 cup onion (any variety), chopped into large chunks
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil (or about 3-4 fresh basil leaves, torn up)
• a dash of salt

If you’re using dried chickpeas, soak them the night before in 3 cups of water. In the morning, rinse them (if you’re using canned, rinse those as well) and add 3 1/2 cups of water and the onions. Simmer them for about 30 minutes in a pot with the lid on but tilted (even if it has a steam hole), then stir in the oil and seasonings. Let it simmer for another 15 minutes, or until the beans are the texture you prefer. Consume.

Lemon-Lime Basil Shortbread Cookies

Great shortbread cookies with a gentle zing. The original recipe called for 375°F and a full 1/2 cup of chilled butter, so you could probably do it that way if you want them more flaky and buttery. Measurements below are for a double batch because this recipe makes only about 10 cookies otherwise. They don’t expand much, so they fit on a good-sized baking sheet.

Makes: about 20
Prep + bake time: 25-30 min

Lemonier Lemon-Lime Basil Shortbread Cookies

• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 c powdered sugar plus more for pressing cookies
• 14-15 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
• 2 full Tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped up finely with a scissors and then measured
• 4 scant tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp finely grated lime zest
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 c Sanding sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place flour, powdered sugar, butter, basil, both zests, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until uniformly mixed, scraping frequently. Let sit at room temperature for a few minutes.

Measure level tablespoonfuls of dough; roll between your palms to form balls. Place on a large baking sheet, spacing 2″ apart. Using fingers or a flat measuring cup dusted with powdered sugar, press cookies into 2″ rounds, re-dusting fingers with powdered sugar as needed to prevent sticking. flatten edges in to prevent them crumbling and burning. Sprinkle tops of cookies with sanding sugar, if using.

Bake until edges are barely blushed with a little color, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool.

Tuscan Red Bean, Potato & Arugula Soup

Surprisingly bright for a bean-ish dish, this Tuscan soup has plenty of flavor to complement the meatier textures of the beans and potatoes. Warm arugula adds a little extra zing and a fancy, restaurant-style flair without getting things too insanely weird. Pair with garlic bread and a salad that’s less the “sweet, heavy” type and more the sort that has pine nuts and/or olives in it.

Note: The photo above is someone else’s soup; this recipe below (from Moosewood’s Simple Suppers) doesn’t include sausage, carrots, or white beans, but otherwise looks pretty similar. If you want, you can throw in some sausage, chopped: I like MorningStar’s vegetarian breakfast sausage links or Yves’ vegetarian Italian sausage (the Yves item is also an EXCELLENT vegetarian hot dog.).

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped onions
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
   
• 3 cups diced red potatoes
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary (about 4 in long – or 1-2 Tbsp dried); either include whole sprig, or remove and break/rub/crush/mince the leaves. Discard stalk.
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tsp salt
   
• 1 14-oz can of small red beans, drained
• 1/2 c white white, or 2 Tbsp lemon juice
   
• 4 oz arugula (about 4 cups)
   
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• salt and black pepper
• lemon wedges (optional)
• grated Parmesan or Pecorino Roman cheese (or cheese substitute, if you’re vegan)

Directions:

1. Put oil, onions, and garlic in bottom of soup pot and sauté until garlic is fragrant but not burnt, about 2 min. Add potatoes, rosemary, broth, and salt; cover, and bring to a boil. Add the beans and the wine (or lemon juice), then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

2. While the potatoes cook, rinse and drain the arugula. Remove any large or tough stems, and coarsely chop any large leaves. Set aside.

3. When the potatoes are tender, add the basil. Salt & pepper to taste. Remove and discard the rosemary sprig – some leaves may stay behind in the soup, and that’s fine. Put a handful of arugula into each bowl and ladle the hot soup over it. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and/or cheese.