Chickpea zimino is a soup widely used here in Liguria that is prepared to warm up during the cold winter days.
Here in Liguria, the term “zimino” refers to zemino, which is a thick and accommodating soup used in many recipes such as vegetables or fish in zimino.
Chickpea zimino is an ideal soup to prepare on a day like today.
Today is a terribly rainy day, and it doesn’t seem to want to get better.
Furthermore, the temperature is changing: in the coming days, the cold will arrive, and therefore there will be a need to enjoy more dishes that both nourish us and warm us up.
Chickpea zimino is a soup prepared with chard and tomato.
Some people also add dried mushrooms.
Originally it was prepared for Christmas, but now it is used at any time of the year.
I used dried chickpeas, which need to be soaked, but if you prefer, you can use the ones that don’t need soaking or the precooked ones. In this case, the cooking times are shorter, and you should adjust according to the package instructions.
If you don’t have vegetable broth, you can also use water.
I recommend trying my version 🙂
P.S.: Also try the:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients for Chickpea Zimino
- 14 oz dried chickpeas
- 10.5 oz chard
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- Half stalk of celery
- to taste vegetable broth
- 10.5 oz tomato puree
- to taste salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (+ a drizzle at the end of cooking)
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Earthenware pot
- 1 Knife
- 1 Wooden spoon
Steps for Chickpea Zimino
Soak the chickpeas in a bowl with cold water and baking soda overnight.
Peel and wash the onion and carrot, then chop them.
Wash the celery and chop it.
Wash the chard and cut it into pieces.
In an earthenware pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and add the chopped vegetables.
After a few seconds, add the chickpeas and some vegetable broth.
Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.
After an hour, add the chopped chard and tomato puree.
Continue cooking for about 30 more minutes.
If necessary, add more vegetable broth.
Turn off the heat, add salt to taste, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Serve the chickpea zimino hot right away.
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