Ingredients
- 500g dried chickpeas
- 1pinch baking soda
- 1 medium onion
- a drizzle olive oil
- fistful minced parsley
- 2-3piches salt
- Short pasta pieces
Units:
Instructions
- The evening before the preparation of the recipe, put all dried chickpeas to soak in cold water with a sprinkle of baking soda (to soften them).
- After at least 12 hours, wash the chickpeas and put them in a saucepan filled with about half a liter of water. Cook over a very low heat. Halfway through cooking time, add the sliced onion, parsley, oil and salt. Stew until the chickpeas are cooked and soften. Serve the soup. If you want to, you can add short pasta pieces to the soup towards the end of cooking time in order to obtain a balanced dish.
- To soften the dried vegetables (chickpeas, lentils, etc.), put them to soak in cold water with a sprinkle of baking soda for at least 12 hours the evening before cooking them. All soups and stews are usually cooked
Place: Gratteri, Italy
Personal Background:
She worked in a health public authority. She’s a mother of 2 daughter.
Recipe’s Personal Background | How did you learn this recipe? | The recipe was “inherited” from her mother, in the same way her mother acquired from her grandmother, always through an intergenerational passage in which the unity of the family is based.. |
Is there some memory/historical event connected to this recipe? | As a traditional family recipe, this dish holds many memories linked to the childhood of the interviewee. One of the main memory from the interviewee is that she was cooking this meal together with her mother, a ritual which contains not only feelings but also the perceptions of all the senses. | |
Personal reference to tradition transmitted by relatives (preparing together, sharing, eating together etc.)? | As many recipes of the Mediterranean Diet, this one is related to cook together and sharing with the relatives, families. The recipe relates to the culinary traditions passed down within the household, from a generation to another. The interviewee often prepared it for her children and grandchildren, thus transmitting her passion for cooking, the pleasure for genuine food and the beauty of sharing meals with the loved ones. | |
Mediterranean Background | Any tradition this receipe is connected to? If yes, which one? Can you describe it? | The chickpea soup perfectly symbolizes the Mediterranean diet, as: – It is rich of pulses, fibers, and herbs – It contains olive oil as a fat base – Stewing keeps the flavors intact and the nutritional intake balanced Furthermore, the recipe – which is made of easy-to-get and inexpensive– is linked to the farming culinary tradition of the Sicilian hinterland. |
Is your recipe connected to the territory you live in? Is it strictly linked to the specificity of the agricultural environment? | No | |
Season (season this food is linked to) |
Harvests happen in summer (June/August), but it is not common to eat them fresh. Dried chickpeas can be easily found throughout the year. the chickpea soup has a high nourishing value, and since it needs to be served hot it’s mostly eaten in autumn and winter. |
Ingredient | Nutritional Importance | Health Benefits |
Chickpea | Source of protein with low caloric value. High content in fibre, folate, iron, zinc and vitamin E. | It shows benefits in the control of cholesterol levels and prevention of type II diabetes, cancer and obesity. |
Onion | Good source of fibre, vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, potassium and manganese. | It shows anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. The combination of these properties can prevent some cardiovascular diseases and cancers. |
Extra virgin olive oil | Made up of 99% lipids, and minimally of vitamins, antioxidants and phytosterols. | Being a source of lipids, amino acids and important triglycerides that make up the lipid bilayer membrane, olive oil has multiple and important beneficial actions (also a mild laxative property). |
Parsley | Rich in terms of proteins (73%) and water, it also contains lipids (27%). | Important source of vitamin A, K and C; folic acid and mineral salts. |
Additional information | |
Is it suggested to eat this meal if you suffer from some disease? If yes, for which one? | It’s a very complete dish, which provides a source of fiber, recommended for people suffering from sluggish bowel. |
What is the primary base with which your food is prepared? Is this a derivative of oil or another base? |
Extra virgin olive oil |
What nutrition related illnesses or deficiencies are common in your area? Are there holistic or nutrition based remedies connected to these aliments? | No, there is no treatment based on this recipe. |