Chickpea Purée Recipes

CHICKPEA PUREE

Steps:

• Drain and rinse chick peas.
• Place in a blender with the garlic and chilli, chop the coriander and mint and place into blender, add rest of ingredients and blend to a puree, do not over blend.
• Taste and adjust seasoning with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, you may need more salt than you may think.

LEMONY CHICKPEA PUREE

Steps:

• Drain and rinse chickpeas and put them into a saucepan. Cover with cold water by 2 inches. Add salt and pepper, to taste, smashed garlic cloves and the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer beans until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Remove the bay leaves and discard.
• Put cooked chickpeas into a food processor or blender. Add the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, whole garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste. Process until smooth; add some of the reserved cooking liquid to thin if, needed. Serve as a base to grilled marinated lamb or put into a serving dish and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and the parsley.

PUREED CHICKPEA SOUP - PASSATO DI CECI

Steps:

• Coat a large pot with olive oil, add the pancetta and bring to a medium heat. When the pancetta starts to become crispy, add the onion, celery, carrots, 3 cloves of garlic, pinch of crushed red pepper and season lightly with salt. Sweat the veggies for 6 to 7 minutes or until they become very aromatic and start to soften.
• Drain the water from the soaked chickpeas, rinse and add to the pot. Add the chicken stock, thyme bundle, bay leaves and 1 quart of water. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until the chickpeas are very soft and falling apart, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Turn off the heat, season the water with salt and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Fill a skillet with olive oil until it is about 1/2-inch deep, and the remaining 3 garlic cloves, the rosemary leaves and a pinch of crushed red pepper and bring it to a medium heat. Remove the garlic once it is golden; it has fulfilled its garlic destiny. Add the bread cubes and cook until they start to become crispy and golden. (They will absorb a LOT of the oil. That's why they taste good!) Season with salt and remove the croutons from the oil to a bowl, reserving the rosemary oil. MMMMM!
• Add the infused oil to the soup. Puree the soup in a food processor, blender or good old fashioned food mill. Correct the consistency and seasoning, if necessary. If the soup is too thick, cook it a little more to reduce it, or thin it by adding more stock or water. Taste to be sure the seasoning is perfect.
• Ladle the soup into serving bowls, top with the croutons and finish with a large drizzle of olive oil.
• See ya ladle!

CHICKPEA PURéE

Steps:

• Stir cumin in dry skillet over medium heat until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to mortar or spice mill; grind.
• Heat 1/4 cup oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cumin; stir 1 minute. Add chickpeas, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, paprika, and cayenne; sauté until chickpeas begin to darken, about 5 minutes. Pour chickpea liquid into 2-cup measuring cup; add enough water (if necessary) to measure 2 cups. Add liquid to chickpea mixture; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until chickpeas begin to soften, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Pour chickpea mixture into strainer set over bowl; reserve cooking liquid. Transfer chickpeas to processor; add 3/4 cup of reserved cooking liquid. Add 1/2 cup oil; puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cool. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

PUREE OF CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• Soak the chickpeas in 1 quart water for six hours or overnight. Drain.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic, spices and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for about a minute, until the mixture is fragrant. Add the chickpeas and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer one hour. Add salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon) and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes to an hour. The beans should be very tender.
• Puree the soup in a blender (in small batches, covering the top with a dish towel to avoid hot splashes) or with an immersion blender until smooth. Put through a strainer for a very smooth texture, pushing it through with the bottom of a ladle or a spatula. Return to the pot, and heat through, stirring the bottom and sides of the pot so that the puree doesn't stick. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Serve, garnishing each bowl with a few drops of olive oil or lemon juice if desired and a sprinkle of chopped fresh mint.