Chickpeas and honey soup

Preparation time: 24
Cooking time: 30
Serves: 6

Ingredients

10 oz 300 gr Chickpeas
5 tablespoons 5 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon of acacia Honey
1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon Kummel
1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon freshly grated Ginger
1 berry 1 berry Cardamom
1 clove 1 clove Garlic

Preparation

If using dried chickpeas, place in a medium bowl and add cold water to cover by 2-inch. Let soak overnight at room temperature.

Rinse chickpeas, drain and put them in a large saucepan.

Cover the chickpeas with cold water, add the garlic clove, a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and a teaspoon of sea salt. Bring to a boil and let cook over low-medium heat for 30 minutes.

Drain the chickpeas, but do not get rid of the cooking water.

In a large non stick skillet let sauté the chickpeas in extra virgin olive oil, adding the herbs and spices. Process the chickpeas with a hand blender, add honey and some of the stock you left apart, since you reach the desired thickness and smoothness.

Notes

The Tuscan cuisine and especially the Florentine cuisine is famous throughout the world. This is the third recipe I’m given out in a row that belongs to the same regional tradition… The reasons why I’m offering you this selections are many:

First of all, I have to thank for her inspiring contribution a Tuscan friend, great chef and gentle young-lady, Francesca Bordonaro, that shared with me (and all of you) some of her best and yummiest recipes. She comes from Tuscany, but works in my hometown, Torino, where she runs a cozy restaurant near the Town-hall, where she offers many Tuscanian plates.

Second, I often go to Tuscany for business… but rarely I have time to eat anything but sandwiches… this indeed is a real shame, that has to be amend as soon as I come back home, cooking something special, that tastes like Tuscany!

Third, I love regional cuisines: I really believe that’s impossible to make a ranking among Italian regional cuisines: they all have their excellent, extraordinary dishes… they are all rich of flavors, history and suggestions…. I have already submitted many regional recipes from Piedmont, the Region where I was born and where I’m back now. And I’ll submit more.. Now it’s time for Tuscanian recipes…

This recipe has been selected to contribute to the Expo 2015 World Recipes the global and crowdsourced cookbook gathering the best traditional recipes from all over the world.