Yes, I Ate Soup in the Summer (ρεβιθόσουπα)

Ahhh, the things I do for those who follow my blog. One of my food quirks is that by & large, I eat salads in the summer, soups in the winter.

Oh, there are always exceptions like the odd, cold summer day or a cold soup but a hot soup in Greece with the blazing 35C heat? Yes, I ate soup.

It wasn't just any soup but the very well-known and traditional chickpea soup of Sifnos. My last day on Sifnos was a Sunday and it would be my last and only chance to eat the real deal.

Yes, I could have eaten the soup on any other day but the Sunday soup would be special. You see, the bakeries do run on Sundays here and for many people on the island, the tradition of sending your pot of soup to the bakery to be cooked still exists.

This tradition was a neccesity for many homes in the villages across Greece where they were old and not equipped to host an oven. Necessity led to resourcefulness and tradition whereby the lady of the house would take the family's meal to the local bakery for cooking.

In Sifnos, surely there are many varieties of soups, depending on that family's tastes (or rather the man of house's tastes).

Each "noikokyra" (housewife) prepares the soup in a large earthenware pot and lugs the contents down to the bakery on a Saturday evening.

The chickpea soup simmers all night at the bakery until it becomes lunch time, Sunday afternoon.

I am so glad that blogging has prodded me to try ingredients I once thought I did not like. Such was the case with chickpeas. I can't say they are my favourite ingredient but I find myself increasing my use of them each year.

They are healthy, cheap and I find quite delicious. Speaking of delicious...this chickpea soup will surprise you with it's aroma and fabulous flavour.

There are alot of onions in this soup and the tag-along veggies of celery and carrot round out the flavours. Add a slow simmer, some good stock, a pinch of fresh ground cumin and a squeeze of lemon and you have a soup that eats like a meal.

Chickpea Soup From Sifnos (ρεβιθόσουπα )
(serves 6)

1 500gr. can of chick peas
(rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 carrot, finely diced
1/2 stalk of celery, finely diced
1 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
6-8 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
(depending how thick/thin you like your soup)
a pinch of fresh ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
squeeze of lemon juice

1. Into a pot, add your olive oil over medium heat and throw in your onions, celery, carrots and paprika and parsley and simmer on medium low for about 15 minutes for the vegetables to soften.
2. Now add your stock, bring to a boil and simmer medium-low heat with the lid slightly ajar for one hour, By this time you should have a thick, chunly chick pea soup with broth still eveident.
3. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, add a small pinch of ground cumin and serve with a wedge of lemon.
4. Serve hot, squeeze just a little lemon juice, add some fresh ground pepper and enjoy this comforting, rustic soup.

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