Sopa de Garbanzos (Chickpea Soup)

Sopa de garbanzos is one of those foods that holds a special place in my heart. It makes me think of the times we would visit my Abuela’s house, and she made a big pot of garbanzo soup for us all to share. Just the smell of the soup was heavenly, and the taste divine. Suffice to say, my version of sopa de garbanzos is based on my Mother’s and Abuela’s recipes. This is the type of recipe that is very simple and efficient because all the ingredients are put into a single pot and left to cook. Little effort is required, yet the outcome is a hearty soup that is rich in flavor! This soup tastes great as is, served with a side of bread to dunk in the soup, or served with white rice. I really love Sopa de garbanzos, so have fun trying this recipe and enjoy! 

Sopa de Garbanzos Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 3lbs of ham shank or butt (preferably with a bone)
• 1 large-sized onion
• 1 medium-sized red pepper
• 1 packet of sazón con azafran or ½ tablespoon saffron
• 45 oz of garbanzo beans (canned or dry)
• 1 teaspoon of salt (Note: the ham has salt, so don't add too much additional salt)
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 13 cups of water
• ¼ teaspoon of oregano

TOOLS NEEDED:

• A large pot
• A knife, cutting board, large spoon, and measuring utensils
• A food processor (optional)

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION / INSTRUCTIONS

BRIEF DIRECTIONS (See the video demonstration for detailed instructions):

1. Collect ingredients. Finely chop the onions in a food processor or by hand. Cut the red pepper into long strips about a ¼ inch thick.
2. To a large pot, add the ham in one large piece (not cut up), the onion, red pepper, garbanzos, saffron, garlic powder, salt, and oregano. Then add enough water to the pot leaving at least an inch of space empty on the top of the pot. Stir the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and let cook for 2 hours with the lid skewed on the top of the pot.
4. Now add about 2 cups of water and let cool for another 30 minutes.
5. Turn off the soup. Remove the ham from the soup, place on a cutting board, and let cool for a few minutes. Then use a knife to remove the ham meat from the bone along with any cartilage or fat pieces. Discard the bone, cartilage, and fat.  Then cut the ham into medium or small chunks and put the meat back in the soup.  Now the soup is ready to serve!