Chickpeas and spinach soup

My mom does a mean chickpeas and spinach soup! It's one of those soups that you feel like licking the plate!

I asked her for the recipe and followed her advice and was very disappointed with the end result. She adds squash to it and I never thought it would be one of the ingredients. Perhaps I misunderstood?

Searching online, it seems that the other Portuguese agree with me. Squash is not part of the recipe. Carrots however are and my mother did not told me to use them. Oh my... I decided to follow my gut feeling and ended up with the soup I wanted.

This soup is velvety smooth and delicious. It's one of my favourite!

Serves: 8 persons.

Ingredients:

• 400g cooked chickpeas
• 2 medium onions, chopped (300g after peeled)
• 2 medium carrots, chopped (200g - I do not peel them, just wash)
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1-1.5 litres of water
• 200g baby spinach
• salt to taste
• olive oil to taste

Method:

1. I use dry chickpeas, soak them overnight and pressure cook them. Usually you need 200g of dried chickpeas to get 400g cooked chickpeas.
2. Add the onions, carrots and garlic to a pan and add enough water to cover the vegetables. Cook the vegetables for 15 min or until tender.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Remove the bay leaf and add the cooked chickpeas and more water to cover all vegetables. I use the water of the cooking of the chickpeas. Blitz all ingredients.
   Depending on whether you want the soup more or less thick, add more or less water.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Let the soup heat up to a boil.
5. Remove from the heat and add the baby spinach, salt and olive oil to taste. Stir. Baby spinach will cook with the residual heat.
   
   
   
6. Serve hot.