Despite its sturdy-sounding name, this chickpea
stew has more in common with a summery Greek avgolemono than a fortifying
Moroccan tagine.
It comes from blogger and cookbook author Heidi Swanson and, like all of her recipes, feels revitalizing and pure without careening into asceticism.
It comes from blogger and cookbook author Heidi Swanson and, like all of her recipes, feels revitalizing and pure without careening into asceticism.
Swanson lays the subtle flavor of saffron on a
canvas of chickpeas and broth barely thickened with yogurt and a few egg yolks.
If you’ve ever made a complicated paella and been uncertain what the saffron
tastes like and why you paid good money for it, you’ll find the answer in this
stew. There it is!
The tempering stage of
the recipe may sound stressful and dinner-risking, but it’s actually very
forgiving—and a trick you can use to enrich any number of soups. Just whisk a
little hot stock into the yogurt, egg, and saffron mix, then whisk it back into
the pot. What just looked anemic will suddenly turn creamy and gold. After this
point, you’re not supposed to let the soup come back to a boil—but at least
once, in a distracted moment, I did, with no unpleasant side effects. (Full
disclosure: In that instance, I was using full-fat yogurt. Lower-fat yogurt
fans, I don’t know if I can vouch for your chances.)
Serves 4 to 6
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive
oil
1 large yellow onion, finely
chopped
Fine sea salt
3 cups (490g) cooked chickpeas or
2 (15-ounce/425g) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 cups (950ml) vegetable broth or
water
2 cloves garlic, finely
chopped
Scant ¼ teaspoon saffron threads
(2 modest pinches)
3 large egg yolks, lightly
beaten
1 cup (225g) plain yogurt (Greek
or regular)
Sweet paprika
Small bunch fresh cilantro,
chopped
1 In a medium-large pot over medium-high heat, combine
the oil, onion, and a couple of big pinches of salt. Cook until the onions
soften up a bit, a few minutes. Stir in the chickpeas, then add the vegetable
broth and garlic. Bring to a simmer and remove from the heat.
2 In a bowl, whisk together the saffron and egg yolks,
then whisk in the yogurt. Slowly add a big ladleful, at least 1 cup (240ml), of
the hot broth to the yogurt mixture, stirring constantly. Very slowly whisk this
mixture back into the pot of soup. Return the pot to medium heat and cook,
stirring continuously and never quite allowing the broth to simmer for another 5
minutes or so, until the broth thickens slightly.
3 Ladle into individual bowls and serve sprinkled with
a touch of paprika and plenty of chopped cilantro.
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