Chickpea Soup

Ingredients :

• 2 cup of dried chickpeas
• 6-8 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp flour
• 2-3 large lemons                  

Preparation :

• Soak the chickpeas in a large bowl of water overnight. The next day, drain and rinse the chickpeas, and soak again in water with baking soda. Drain and rinse again, this time removing any skins
• The next day, heat olive oil in a pot on medium heat, and add the onions, celery, bay leaves, paprika and sauté until the vegetables soften.
• Add the chickpeas in the pot and pour the stock, and bring to a boil. Skim off the top layer of foam that covers the stock.
• Reduce heat and let simmer for about 2 hours, till chickpeas are soft.
• Add salt and olive oil and continue cooking for a few minutes.
• Mix the flour and the lemon juice. When the mixture is smooth, add 2 table spoons of the chickpeas broth and stir. Pour the mixture to the chickpeas, and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly.
• Serve with a dash of lemon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a warm portion of garlic bread.

Serves 4