Chickpea Minestrone

by Jenn Laughlin https://peasandcrayons.com/chickpea-minestrone/

(Italian, garbanzos, )

Yield: 2 servings
Calories: 281kcal
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 25 min (excluding garbanzos prep.)
Total Time: 40 min

Ingredients

½ medium onion (white or yellow)
1 carrot
1 celery rib
2 cloves garlic peeled, smashed, and minced
1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp Italian seasoning blend
½ tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
½ cup water
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 dried bay leave
½ cup ditalini pasta
1 can chickpeas (15 oz each) drained and rinsed
      or 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese or to taste
fresh chopped basil for topping (optoinal + delicious)

Instructions

1. Pressure cook dry garbanzo beans if using dried beans.
2. Peel and dice onion and carrots. Finely chop celery. Smash and peel garlic, then finely mince.
3. Heat a large dutch oven (or heavy duty pot) to medium-high heat with 2 TBSP oil. Once oil is hot, add onion, carrot, and celery and saute until vegetables are tender, approx 7 minutes.
4. Next add minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and cook an additional minute, stirring constantly.
5. Add broth, water, and crushed tomatoes (juices and all) and bay leaves and bring pot to a boil.
6. Once soup is vigorously bubbling, add chickpeas and pasta and reduce heat to low. Stir frequently for the first few minutes to prevent sticking. Cover and simmer until chickpeas are tender and pasta is al dente, approx 15 minutes. Stir occasionaly.
7. Remove bay leaves when you come across them stirring the soup. Additional salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning blend can be added to taste at if desired.
8. Ready to eat? Ladle into bowls and enjoy piping hot topped with fresh basil (optional but so tasty!) and freshly grated parmesan cheese.