Smoked Paprika and Chickpea Soup


Ingredients

•  1 T Olive Oil
•  1 Red onion, peeled and minced
•  3 Garlic cloves, peeled and minced
•  2 Celery stalks, strings removed with a potato peeler and chopped small
•  2 t Finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
•  2 cups Cooked chickpeas (You can use a 14.5-ounce can of rinsed, drained chickpeas in place of soaked, dried peas.)
•  ½ t Smoked paprika
•  2 Dried bay leaves
•  1 T Tomato paste
•  1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
•  1 14.5-ounce can of chicken broth
•  salt and pepper to taste
•  A small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Preparation

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and add the onion, garlic, celery, and rosemary. Sauté for a few minutes until the vegetables and aromatics begin to soften, then add the chickpeas, smoked paprika, bay leaves, tomato paste, and canned tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add the water, season, and bring back to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Discard the bay leaves. Let cool slightly and then process about half the mixture in a blender (or reach for that handy immersion blender, if you have one) then stir the purée into the chunky soup in the pot. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir in the parsley and reheat gently if you need to. Ladle into warm bowls.

Additional Information

Source: http://leitesculinaria.com/46284/recipes-chickpea-soup.html