Cisrà…An ancient soup with the flavor of the evening
And as often happens, traditional recipes have a long history, often arising from the need to prepare dishes with the harvest from the garden and the “scraps” or humble parts of the animals raised on the farm. Pork, poultry, sheep, and goats…
In this case, a chickpea soup, with the addition of pumpkin, leeks, carrots… Every home had its recipe, every area its ingredients, so in Piedmont, you will find many different recipes, and all are “original”
A soup that is mainly prepared in the first days of November, especially in honor of the dead who, according to an ancient orally transmitted ritual, required cooking chickpeas to leave in the kitchen to feed the dead who returned home to find the left behind. Every room left in order, table set, and chickpea soups ready when required.
In this rich recipe, we find pork ribs and some well-degreased strips of pork rind.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
Chickpeas, ribs, and vegetables…
- 4 cups dried chickpeas
- 6 pork ribs (Cut in half)
- 1 slice pork rind (Degreased, a piece the size of a hand)
- 1 leek
- 1 carrot (Medium)
- 1 celery (Celery stalk)
- 14 oz delica pumpkin (Other varieties are also fine, I grow this or the violina)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 sprig rosemary
- to taste salt
- to taste olive oil
- to taste black pepper (Freshly ground)
Tools
Cutting board for rind and vegetables, pot for cooking, pan for browning the ribs, serving bowls for the soup
- Cutting Boards
- Pots
- Bowls
Steps
There are few steps to follow
After soaking the chickpeas overnight in water with a teaspoon of baking soda, rinse them and transfer them to the cooking pot, add the leeks, carrots, celery, and pumpkin cut into pieces, the pumpkin a little larger; cut the rind into strips, add it to the rest and top off with water until everything is covered. Salt and start cooking by covering the pot
While the soup starts cooking, roast the pork ribs and add them to the rest…
Cover and cook on low heat for at least three hours, the vegetables will dissolve, and the meats will be tender to the right point.
Serve in individual bowls, possibly with croutons, and a generous grind of black pepper.
Tasty, invigorating, perfect for an evening with friends and good wine!
Cisrà can be stored in the fridge…
This soup can be stored in the fridge for two days without problems. With this recipe, you can also season pasta. Not everyone adds ribs, but we have always done so; during the same occasions, we also prepare chickpeas and ribs that are not pre-roasted.
