Garbanzo Bean Soup...Easy, Healthy, Delicious and Most Of All Inexpensive.

Yep, now-a-days, we have to be careful of what we eat, and how much we spend. Garbanzo beans also known as Chickpeas are a good choice for a simple everyday meal. The idea here is to use them whole into a soup....

On condition you have some chicken stock or broth on hand, you can soak the beans overnight, then boil them till tender, strain them, throw the liquid away, then use the chicken broth to make your soup as follows:

Ingredients:

• 500 gr garbanzo beans or chickpeas soaked over night.
• 40 gr tomato concentrate.
• ½ medium onion diced.
• 3 cloves of garlic passed through the garlic press.
• 2 tsp za'atar.
• ¼ cup olive oil.
• 3 cups chicken broth.
• ¼ cup of white wine.
• salt and pepper to taste.
• ½ piment d'Espelette scissored into very thin strips. 

Method:

• Boil the garbanzo beans till al dente, strain, set aside.
• Heat oil in a large sauce pan and stir-fry the onion till transparent, then add the garlic, stir-fry till that special aroma fills the air.
• Add the garbanzo beans and mix with onion and garlic.
• Add the za'atar, mix.
• Add the tomato concentrate and mix.
• Add the piment d'Espelette which will raise the whole dish into a much higher level.
• Add the wine and stir till the alcohol evaporates.
• Add the broth and bring to a boil.
• Lower heat to a minimum and simmer covered for 30 minutes making sure the beans are completely cooked and tender.
• When time is up taste, adjust salt and pepper.

Serve hot with bread or biscuits (recipe for biscuits please go to: http://www.your-dreams-coming-true.com/2014/01/breakfast-baking-powder-biscuits.html)

Enjoy!

Stelio