Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Chickpeas, yogurt, and saffron — a great combo of flavors. Here is the soup recipe you need to try! Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
Fine-grain sea salt
1 1/2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads (2 modest pinches)
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 cup plain yogurt (Greek or regular)
Sweet paprika
Small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Procedure
In a medium-large pot over medium-high heat, combine the olive oil, onion, and a couple of big pinches of salt. Cook until the onions soften up a bit, a few minutes. Stir in the chickpeas, and then add the vegetable broth and garlic. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. In a medium bowl, whisk the saffron and egg yolks, then whisk in the yogurt. Slowly add a big ladle-full, at least 1 cup, of the hot broth to the yogurt mixture, stirring constantly. Very slowly whisk this mixture back into the pot of soup. Return the pot to medium heat and cook, stirring continuously for another 5 minutes or so, until the broth thickens to the consistency of heavy cream, never quite allowing broth to simmer. Ladle into individual bowls and serve sprinkled with a touch of paprika and plenty of chopped cilantro. This soup can also be topped with some roast chick peas and a pinch of Spanish smoked paprika. Yum!
