Tuscan Barley and Chickpea Soup

This soup is another wintery recipe that relies heavily on pantry items (here chickpeas and barley).  The only contribution from the garden is our Italian parsley which is thriving in our cool weather.   This is a filling vegan soup that is loaded with protein and fiber.

Tuscan Barley and Chickpea Soup

Ingredients

1 1/2          cups         canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3/4             cup           hulled barley
1/2             tsp            sea salt
2                                 bay leaves
3                Tbs           olive oil
1/2             cup           onion, chopped
1                Tbs           celery, minced
1                 qt             vegetable stock
1/2              tsp           dried marjoram
2                                 pinches dry nutmeg
                                   black pepper
                                   Italian parsley, chopped
                                   optional:  feta, flatbread

Procedure

1. Place chickpeas in saucepan and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil, add salt and bay leaves.  Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until very soft (about 1 1/2 hours).***
2. Gently saute onions and celery in olive oil until soft.  Add stock, barley, marjoram and nutmeg.  Simmer, partially covered, for about 1 hour.
3. Drain chickpeas but RESERVE THE COOKING LIQUID.  Discard bay leaves.  Puree chickpeas with 1 cup of reserved liquid.  If too thick, add more of the reserved liquid to get a thick paste.
4. Add pureed chickpeas to the barley and stock.  Soup should have a thick, creamy texture.  Add more of the reserved chickpea cooking liquid if the soup is too thick.  Season with salt and pepper, and let soup simmer on very low for about 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.  Serve with chopped parsley on top, and a drizzle of olive oil. 
5. We added a dollop of feta to each bowl, and served with thick flatbread.

*** We've received several questions about the cooking time for the chickpeas.  We really did cook them this long, on a low simmer.  You could probably cook for a shorter time -- just taste for flavor and softness to determine when they're done.

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