Chickpea and Leek Soup Draft

How I make it

1. Soak the chickpeas in water overnight.

2. Rinse the soaked chickpeas and put them in a pot with the potato.

3. Cover with cold water (about 3 cups / 750 ml), bring to a boil and simmer for about 1 hour, until the chickpeas are tender. Drain.

4. Halve each leek lengthwise, rinse well and slice into half-moons.

5. Heat a separate pot and add the butter and olive oil.

6. Add the leeks and sliced garlic with a pinch of salt and sauté gently until soft.

7. Add the chickpeas and potato and stir for another minute.

8. Add about two-thirds of the stock and simmer for 15 minutes.

9. Taste, then add salt and pepper, more stock as needed, and grated Parmesan.

10. Blend the soup with an immersion blender, all of it or half, or leave it as is.

What I've learned

• You can use canned chickpeas and skip the soaking, but I prefer the texture of soaked ones.
• If I have a Parmesan rind, I add it with the stock for extra flavor.
• I like to blend just half, so the soup is creamy with whole chickpeas too.
• I serve it with fresh or toasted bread, a few drops of good olive oil, more Parmesan on top or croutons.