Monastery Soup

So, I did do some shopping today, but it was for ingredients for a birthday cake for my two-year-old!!! I found a hollow white-chocolate duck (colored yellow), which inspired me to make one of those cakes with the top being covered in set blue Jello. Payge loves "quack-quacks" , and I knew this would thrill her. I will post about that later. But for now, I'm posting our eat from the pantry special. I found this recipe in the book Twelve Months of Monastery Soups, and I can't wait to own it. It's organized by month, since each veggie only exists in certain months, and then the winter months are organized such that you are using up the preserved vegetables!!! I was in heaven when I found it. Anyhow, tonight's dinner will utilize the stock made from the chicken bones the night before. Exciting.

Chickpea Soup a'la Provincale

2 Cups dry chickpeas
1/2 olive oil
4 leeks (thinly sliced)
4 cloves garlic, minced
10 cups water
4 Tbsp herbs (rosemary, thyme, bayleaf, oregano)
1/3 pound spinach
salt and pepper to taste

1 Cook leeks and garlic in oil.
2. Add in the other ingredients and simmer for about an hour (til chickpeas are soft)
3. Puree soup and serve warm. Serve with croutons (dry bread, people! Stale if you've got it!--kidding) if desired.

I used frozen leeks. And I didn't have any more spinach, so I used baby beet greens. They make the soup a little more, uh, purple, than green, but that's OK. I used the stock in place of part of the water.

Sorry, no photos. Soup just isn't exciting visually. Well, unless you count the leeks. Those are so pretty. Plus, I usually cook and serve. Maybe I'll get all cool about it and take a picture some time of our adventurous food. ha ha.