Delicious TV! Totally Vegetarian "One of my greatest pleasures is cooking for people who aren't convinced that vegetarian food is both satisfying and complete. Watch Delicious TV and you'll see how easy, exciting, and healthy contemporary vegetarian cooking really is." --Tony from Delicious TV

Reprinted with permission from Betsy Carson, Producer for Delicious TV.

Tuscan Chickpea Soup (Episode 1)

My Tuscan soup recipe, like most of my favorites, is so easy to prepare you won't believe it. The subtle nuttiness of the bean coupled with the heady aroma of the fresh rosemary and garlic is incredibly satisfying in any season.

Ingredients

• 1/4-1/2 c. olive oil
• 8-10 crushed garlic cloves
• 2 cans chickpeas, one drained, one not
• 1 can water or vegetable stock
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh rosemary
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 c. broken spaghetti

Directions

Saute garlic in olive oil until lightly brown. Add chickpeas, water or stock, 1/8 c. rosemary, salt & pepper. Bring to simmer and add spaghetti & remainder of rosemary. Simmer until spaghetti is cooked (8-10 minutes) and serve. Soup will thicken considerably and can be loosened by adding a little water when reheated.

To maintain the warm piney flavor of rosemary, add this herb at the final stage of cooking.

Cook's Notes

The nutritional value of chickpeas is virtually unmatched. Loaded with protein, fiber, B vitamins and folic acid this delicately flavored bean is a pantry must have. Although chickpeas probably originated in the Middle East and North Africa it has been cultivated in Italy for centuries and is used in many Italian dishes. From flatbreads to dips to pasta and dessert, chickpeas are a wonderfully adaptable legume. My Tuscan soup recipe, like most of my all time favorites, is so easy to prepare. The combination of the subtle nuttiness of the bean coupled with the crisp aroma of the fresh rosemary and garlic is incredibly satisfying in any season. Unlike many other beans the taste and texture of chickpeas is not compromised by canning.

Having on hand several cans of the delicately-flavored chickpea are a pantry must.