CHICKEN AND CHICKPEA SOUP

Chicken and Chickpea Soup image

Provided by Food Network

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 17

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1 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water
2 large onions, peeled: one cut in half and stuck with 2 cloves, the other chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 boneless chicken thighs with skin, each cut in half
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces chunk of Spanish mountain cured ham, Prosciutto, or slab bacon, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced or pureed
1 generous pinch saffron threads
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2 - inch thick
2 ribs celery, sliced 1/2-inch thick
2 cups chopped cabbage
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 cups stock or water
1/2 bunch fresh parsley, washed and chopped

Steps:

Place chickpeas in large saucepan with enough water to cover by several inches. Add onion cut in half (with cloves) and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and cook 1 hour, until about halfway cooked. In the meantime, heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place chicken pieces, skin side down, in hot pot. Cook until evenly golden brown, about 5 minutes, then flip over and cook other side 5 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the pan and add diced mountain ham or bacon. Cook 5 minutes until crisp. If using bacon, drain excess fat. Add chopped onion, garlic, and saffron and stir. Cook until onions start to soften, then add white wine and scrape bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Add carrots, celery, cabbage, salt and pepper. Remove onion halves from chickpeas and add half cooked chickpeas and their cooking liquid to pot along with the 6 cups of stock or water. Bring pot to a boil, lower heat and simmer 45 minutes to an hour or until chicken and chickpeas are completely cooked. Stir in parsley and serve.