A simple, chunky rice soup, studded with lots of chickpeas, flecked with kale, and drizzled with a vibrant garlic-chile oil. It has peanuts. It has a dusting of turmeric.
Ingredients
Garlic Chile Oil:
1/2 -2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 garlic cloves, peeled & thinly sliced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons red chile flakes
1/2 cup peanuts, toasted & chopped
Salt to taste
Chickpea & Rice Soup:
2 small onions, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups white rice, preferably Arborio
1 15- ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 large bunch kale, de-stemmed & chopped
2-3 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
1-2 lemons
pinch of turmeric
Directions
To make the garlic chile oil (you can make this up to a week in advance): Combine the oil, garlic, and shallots in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the garlic gets golden brown (but not too dark), remove from heat, wait a few minutes for it to cool a bit, and transfer to a heatproof jar. Stir in the the chile flakes and peanuts, and set aside.
In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium. Stir in the onions. Cook, stirring often, until the onions caramelize - 10 minutes or so. Stir in the rice, and then 9 cups of water or your favorite broth. Bring to a boil, and then dial back the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes or so, until the rice is just cooked through.
Stir in the chickpeas and kale and cook until heated through. If you want a thinner broth, add another cup of hot water. Now, getting the salt right here is key. If you used a salty broth, you’ll need a lot less than if you used water. If you under salt this it’s going to be bland, so take your time. Season with lots of fresh lemon juice. Served topped generously with the garlic-chili oil, and a little pinch of turmeric if you have some on hand.
