Here comes the broccoli rabe and chickpea minestrone, ideal with this winter chill! Very easy, especially as in this case prepared with split chickpeas, which along with the vegetables, are cooked in 40 minutes.
I chose broccoli rabe because, as you know, I only use seasonal vegetables, and this month you can find broccoli rabe along with all the broccoli, cabbages, savoy cabbages, and leeks.
In fact, broccoli rabe is always part of the Brassicaceae family (Brassica Rapa) and both the inflorescences and the tender leaves are used. They are also called broccoletti for the flavor, although they have a slightly bitter and spicy aftertaste.
But let’s not limit ourselves to enjoying broccoli rabe with orecchiette; this vegetable is wonderful in many ways, used instead of kale, curly kale or fiolaro broccoli.
Try them in savory pies, vegetable strudels, baked lasagna, but also simply sautéed or, as in this case, in soups and minestrones. Important in this last case to have on hand a slice of naturally leavened bread to dip into the broccoli rabe and chickpea minestrone.
See also these similar minestrones and soups
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter and Spring
Ingredients for Broccoli Rabe and Chickpea Minestrone
- 3.5 oz broccoli rabe
- 3.5 oz chickpeas (split)
- 1 leek
- 2.1 oz oat flakes
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 pinch fresh ginger
- 21.2 oz vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon herbs
Steps for Broccoli Rabe and Chickpea Minestrone
Fast like all my recipes, this minestrone is also quick because it’s made with split chickpeas.
Soak the split chickpeas for at least an hour, then rinse.
Wash the broccoli rabe well and chop them, removing any woody stem parts. Wash the leek and slice it.
In a pot, pour the vegetable broth, broccoli rabe, leek, split chickpeas, and the teaspoon of herbs. Cook for 20 minutes, check if the chickpeas are done, add the oat flakes and cook for another 5 or 10 minutes. Adjust the salt, add fresh ginger, plate, and serve with a drizzle of oil and whole-grain bread.
Tips and Variations
The Broccoli Rabe and Chickpea Minestrone keeps well sealed in the fridge for one day. Also, try it with split lentils instead of chickpeas and with kale instead of broccoli rabe. You can replace ginger with chili pepper and oat flakes with couscous.
