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Frank de Carlo's Black Chickpea Soup

The keys to this primitive yet celebratory Italian soup are the black chickpeas and the meaty bones. The soup — Umbrian in origin — contains animal products in three forms, and each one is used judiciously and beautifully.
You start by browning meaty bones of veal or pork, in olive oil, of course. (Frank said that pork is more traditional; I’d add that it’s better, but that veal is lovely, too.) The soup is finished with a double whammy of body and flavor: beaten eggs and grated Parmesan. I mean, really, how can you go wrong?
The black chickpeas themselves — smaller than the more familiar chickpeas, but quite black before cooking, which lightens them — seem smoky and earthy to me. You use, among other things, tomatoes, thyme (on one occasion, I used sage, equally nice), basil and greens (I like chard best here). And you finish it with homemade croutons, a welcome touch.
Servings: 4
Author: The Seattle Times

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces dried black chickpeas 1 cup
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil more for croutons
  • 1 pound bone-in country-style pork ribs (or more), or meaty pork or veal bones
  • 1 medium yellow onion peeled and diced
  • 1 carrot diced
  • 2 stalks celery including the top green leaves, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic whole
  • 8 cherry tomatoes cut in half
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 20 ¾-inch bread cubes
  • kosher salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup chard or beet tops or other greens, chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • Grana Padano grated, or Parmesan
  • fresh basil leaves for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the dried chickpeas and pork:

  • Wash the chickpeas and soak them in 2 quarts of water combined with 1-1/2 tablespoons of sea salt for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
  • Cut the pork ribs into large chunks and season with kosher salt. Refrigerate uncovered overnight.

Brown the pork:

  • Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
  • Heat a dutch oven over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
  • Add the oil and brown the pork ribs well for about 3 minutes per side.
  • Remove the ribs and set aside.

Cook the beans:

  • Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the dutch oven.
  • Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the onion becomes translucent.
  • Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, drained chickpeas, wine, and pork and add enough water to cover by about an inch.
  • Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover and place in the oven.
  • The chickpeas and meat will become tender at about the same time, which could be after 3 hours or more. Check the soup occasionally to make sure the mixture doesn't dry out. (Mine didn't, but if yours does, add water as necessary.)

Make the croutons:

  • At some point make the croutons: Toss the bread cubes with olive oil.
  • Bake at 325 degrees on a baking sheet; toss occasionally, until beautifully golden.
  • Sprinkle with a little salt and set aside.

Add the greens and finish with eggs and Parmesan:

  • When the beans and meat are tender, remove the meat from the bones; shred and return the meat to the pot.
  • Reheat, adding the greens and cooking until tender, about 10 minutes.
  • Remove the bay leaf.
  • Beat the eggs, and stir them into the soup.
  • Stir in 2 handfuls of Parmesan cheese.

Finish and serve:

  • Ladle into bowls; top with cracked pepper and torn basil.
  • Frank finishes with more cheese and more oil. Why not?