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Spanish chickpea soup, or potaje, is a thick first course made with vegetables and spices. This soup is ideal for those who are fasting or vegetarian, as it does not contain any animal products. Before cooking, soak the chickpeas overnight to plump them up. Most of the preparation of the soup is spent boiling the chickpeas, but the process itself is quite simple. You can add your favorite spices to the soup if desired.

Step 1

Prepare the soup base. Place the chickpeas in a saucepan and cook in plenty of water for 120 minutes. Start preparing the vegetable broth. Pour 1 liter of cold water over the leeks, celery, and carrots, add a whole onion, and put on the fire. When the water boils, add 2 sprigs of thyme. Cook for 20 minutes. Strain the finished broth through a sieve.

Step 2

Prepare the vegetables for the soup. Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion for 1 minute. Then add the grated carrots, after 1 minute add the pepper to the pan. Sauté everything together for another 3 minutes. Then add the chopped tomatoes with their juice and the paprika. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the garlic at the end and cook for another minute.

Step 3

Combine the bases and finish cooking. Add the strained vegetable broth to the pan and bring to a boil. Then add the boiled chickpeas. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the spinach and bay leaf to the soup and cook for another 5 minutes. At the end of cooking, add salt, pepper and a sprig of thyme, cover and let it sit for about 10 minutes.