Chickpea and Bean Soup (Mesciua)
Chickpea and bean soup (mesciua) is humble Italian comfort food, made easy with canned beans and pearl barley for a cozy one-pot dinner.
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Servings: 6
Calories: 425kcal
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium leek, sliced (white and light green parts only)
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
- 1 cup (200 g) pearl barley, rinsed
- 6 cups (1.5 l) water, or vegetable stock
- 2 cans (14 oz / 400 g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 cans (14 oz / 400 g) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- A handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leek, carrot and celery and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the rosemary and cook for another minute until fragrant.¼ cup extra virgin olive oil1 medium leek1 medium carrot3 celery stalks1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
- Add the rinsed pearl barley and the water (or vegetable stock). Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 25-30 minutes, until the barley is tender with a slight chew.1 cup pearl barley6 cups water
- Stir in the chickpeas and cannellini beans and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. For a thicker texture, mash a ladleful of the beans and barley against the side of the pot.2 cans (14 oz / 400 g) chickpeas2 cans (14 oz / 400 g) cannellini beans
- Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then stir through the parsley. Serve each bowl with a generous drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil and plenty of cracked black pepper.Salt and freshly ground black pepper to tasteA handful of fresh parsley
Notes
- To make it with dried beans, use about 1 cup (200 g) dried chickpeas and about 1 cup (200 g) dried cannellini.
- Soak them separately overnight, then cook them separately until tender (chickpeas roughly 1.5-2 hours, cannellini about 1-1.5 hours) before adding them to the soup. Reserve some cooking liquid to add back for extra flavor.
- Pearl barley can be swapped for farro or spelt, the most traditional grain for mesciua. Adjust the simmer time as needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 425kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 452mg | Potassium: 973mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1989IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 184mg | Iron: 7mg