Golden Chickpea Soup

This is a warming, nutritious soup for the winter that will surely become a family favorite!

6 cloves fresh garlic, crushed

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

6 cups water or vegetable broth or unsalted chicken broth

2 cans (1 pound each) chickpeas, drained

1 large Spanish onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

2 tbs chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 bay leaves

2 bay leaves

4 ounces ziti or tube pasta (about 1.5 cups)

Saute garlic,for about 30 seconds, in olive oil.

Add all the remaining ingredients, except the pasta, to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves from the soup, and discard.

Remove 4 cups of the soup and blend in a blender, 2 cups at a time to avoid overfilling the blender container.

Add the pasta to the soup remaining in the pot and simmer until the pasta is al dente. (Be careful not to overcook as the pasta will
continue to soften in the hot soup.) Add the 4 cups of blended soup and heat through.

Ladle the soup into individual serving bowls, and serve hot. Yield: 9 servings.