Vegetable Soup With Chickpeas and Spinach

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried garbanzo beans, soaked overnight and drained
• 6 cups water
• kosher salt
• 4 slices baguette
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled seeded and chopped or 1 cup canned chopped tomato with juice
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 lb potato, diced
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 lb spinach, stemmed and chopped
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts (optional)
• 1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 pinch saffron, crumbled
• 1 large egg, hard-cooked and chopped

Directions

1. 1

   Combine the drained chickpeas and 4 c of the water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Add 1 t salt and continue to simmer until tender, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

2. 2

   Toast the bread until golden and tear it into smaller pieces. Place in a small bowl and douse with the vinegar.

3. 3

   Heat the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, abut 3 minutes. Add 1/3rd of the garlic, the tomatoes, and the paprika, and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes cook down to a thick paste, 10-15 minutes.

4. 4

   Add the chickpeas with their liquid, the potatoes, another teaspoon of salt, pepper, and the remaining 2 c water. Bring to a boil reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the spinach and simmer another 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

5. 5

   Add the remaining garlic, the soaked bread, pine nuts, parsley, saffron, and hard-cooked egg to the soup. Stir once, turn off the heat, and let the soup rest for 10 minutes. Serve hot.