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Zuppa di cicerchie (Grass Pea Soup)

Total Time30 minutes

Ingredients

For the initial simmering:

  • 250 g 8 oz dried cicerhie
  • A clove or two of garlic left whole
  • A bay leaf
  • Salt

For the soup:

  • 1-2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
  • A sprig of rosemary and a few sage leaves if you like
  • 200-250 g 7-8 oz canned tomatoes, finely chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • Olive oil

For finishing the soup:

  • Rounds of toasted bread
  • Olive oil

Instructions

  • Soak the circerchie overnight. Drain and put them in a large pot with water to cover, together with a pinch of salt and a bay leaf. Simmer until tender. (Times will vary; traditional recipes say 2 hours, but the ones I used were tender in a little over an hour.)
  • In a heavy saucepan, Dutch oven or terra-cotta pot, gently sauté the garlic and rosemary (and sage leaves if you're using them) for a minute or two, until the garlic is just golden. Add the chopped tomato and let it simmer for about 5 minutes, until it has thickened slightly. Remove the garlic and herbs.
  • Drain the cooked circerhie and add it to the pot, mixing well. Let the cicerchie simmer for a few minutes to soak up the flavor of the tomato base. Add a ladleful or so of the pot liquor, enough to cover, season generously with salt and pepper, and continue simmering for another 10-15 minutes or so, stirring from time to time. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
  • If you like a thicker soup, crush some of the cicerchie against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Conversely, add more pot liquor if things get too thick for your taste.
  • Serve hot, drizzled if you like with some best-quality olive oil and some rounds of good crusty bread, toasted or (even better in my book) fried in olive oil.