Chickpea and Clam Soup (Zuppa di Ceci e Vongole)
This week I finally came home after traveling for most of the summer. And as usual, my first craving was for the delectable “vongole” (clams) that are locally-caught in the Gulf of Naples, and celebrated all over the world. It was cold and raining outside, so I decided to warm up with “una bella zuppa di ceci e vongole” —a quick and easy preparation that pares chickpeas with the clams for a simply delightful soup, which is so wholesome and comforting that it hits-the-spot and satisfies my cravings every time.
That morning I came upon this brand-new bakery in town that specialises in all sorts of breads, typical of the area —an exciting happening for sure. I bought a crusty loaf of rustic bread, which cut into slices is another key ingredient for rendering the best results in this preparation. Gobbling up bowl after bowl, there’s nothing more satisfying than soaking up the delicious broth with good crusty slices of rustic bread. Yum!
In Campania, the bread is either simply sliced and served (tucked into the soup bowls or placed in a bread basket or on a cutting board) —or else, it’s sliced and made into “real Italian-style garlic bread” —lightly grilled on each side, then rubbed over the surface with a cut clove of garlic and drizzled over the top with extra-virgin olive oil prior to serving as an accompaniment to the soup. The latter, with its perfectly complimentary rustic-touch, found its place on my table long ago —and since then has become an essential part of the preparation when I make this soup at home in Massa Lubrense.
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The simple steps for Chickpea and Clam Soup “una bella zuppa di ceci e vongole”
(more details in the recipe below)
Put the oil, garlic, hot chili pepper, and a whole stem of parsley in the pan and warm over medium heat for about 45 seconds to one minute, stirring frequently. Add the chickpeas and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In the meantime, pour a small ladleful of water into a medium saucepan and bring to a strong simmer over medium heat. Add the clams, cover the pan, and simmer until the clams open and have rendered their liquids, about 1½ to 2 minutes. Drain the clams and set them and their liquids aside.
Remove and discard the parleys and stems and hot chili pepper from the chickpea broth. Taste and season with salt, only if necessary. Add a few grinding of black pepper, stir and taste again, making any adjustments as necessary. Pour in the clam liquids and cook, letting the broth reduce a bit and the flavors a change to mingle, stirring occasionally for another 2 to 3 minutes, depending upon how much liquids are in the pan. Toss in the clams and stir and toss briefly, or just until they are well coated with the chickpeas and the broth. Sprinkle with the reserved parsley and serve hot, with the crusty slices of bread to accompany this delicious chickpea and clam soup, as you wish. Buon appetito!!
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450 grams) fresh Manilla or littleneck clams scrubbed and rinsed
- 1 jar (400 grams) chickpeas
- ½ cup olive oil extra virgin
- 2 medium garlic cloves finely chopped
- 3 to 4 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs one left whole, and the others finely chopped, stems reserved
- 1 small hot red chili pepper or a pinch of crushed hot red pepper flakes
- 2 to 3 crusty slices of rustic bread per person
- pinch of freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium pan, put the olive oil, garlic, hot chili pepper, and whole stem of parsley and stir over medium heat, about 45 seconds to one minute, stirring frequently. If you like, you can drop the remaining stems in the pan to add an additional touch of fresh green taste to the olive oil.
- Pour the jar of chickpeas and their liquids into the pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In the meantime, in a medium saucepan, pour in a small ladleful of water and bring to a strong simmer over medium to high heat. Add the clams, cover the pan, and simmer until the clams open and have rendered their liquids, about 1½ to 2 minutes. Drain the clams through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl, reserving their liquids. Put the clams in a separate bowl and set aside.
- Remove and discard the parley sprigs (and any additional stems) and hot chili pepper from the chickpea broth. At this point, you can leave the broth as is with whole chickpeas, or remove about ¾ cup of the chickpeas and puree them in a separate bowl until smooth, using a hand held blender or tines of a fork- then stir the pureed chickpeas back into the broth, like I like to do.
- Taste the broth and season with salt, only if necessary. Add a few grinding of black pepper, stir and taste again, making any adjustments as necessary.
- Pour in the clam liquids and continue to cook, letting the broth reduce for a bit and the flavors a change to mingle, stirring occasionally for another 2 to 3 minutes (depending upon how much liquids are in the pan).
- Toss in the clams and stir and toss briefly, or just until they are well coated with the chickpeas and the broth. Sprinkle with the reserved parsley and serve hot, with the crusty slices of bread to accompany the soup, as you wish.
Buon Appetito da Massa Lubrense!!
