Orecchiette and chickpea tomato soup
- Published: 24 Jul 20
- Updated: 18 Mar 24
This proper pleasing orecchiette and chickpea tomato soup is a family favourite and, similar to minestrone, contains a handful of storecupboard stables.
For more of Donal’s recipes, visit donalskehan.com
- Serves 4
- Hands-on time 30 mins
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra-virgin olive oil to serve
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 x 400g cans plum tomatoes (look for an 800g tin San Marzano, ideally – they’re good quality)
- 1 litre good quality beef stock (I prefer organic)
- 250g orecchiette
- 400g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 100g-125g baby spinach leaves (depending on pack size)
- Fresh flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped, to serve (optional)
- Freshly grated parmesan to serve
Method
- Heat a medium casserole or large saucepan over a medium-high heat, then add the oil. Fry the onion, carrot and celery for 6-8 minutes until starting to soften. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the chilli flakes and garlic, then fry for a further minute before stirring in the tomatoes. (You want them crushed – I use my hands to squeeze the tomatoes directly into the pot from the tin, but you can break them up with a wooden spoon if you prefer.)
- Pour in the beef stock, then bring to a steady boil. Add the orecchiette and cook for 10 minutes or so until the pasta is al dente.
- Stir in the chickpeas and spinach, then cook until the spinach has wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve garnished with freshly chopped parsley, a generous grating of parmesan and a drizzle of your best extra-virgin olive oil.
- Recipe from July 2020 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 481kcals
- Fat
- 12.1g (1.6g saturated)
- Protein
- 25.9g
- Carbohydrates
- 73.1g (16.2g sugars)
- Fibre
- 13g
- Salt
- 0.9g
delicious. tips
Make the soup vegetarian by using vegetable stock instead of beef stock and veggie hard cheese instead of parmesan.
Buy ingredients online
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