When I was little, my mom used to treat my sister and me to a rare visit at an upscale Spanish restaurant. They had the best garbanzo bean soup and pumpernickel bread in the world!  My mom also loved their flan (I couldn’t get past its texture). Actually, those three things are all I knew they offered.  I didn’t even know they had a menu because she never asked for one. Why? Too pricey. I was an adult before I knew they had things like paella, seafood, and chicken & rice. That’s okay, because their soup and bread was the best.

After my husband and I got married, we moved into our one-bedroom apartment while working our way through college. I missed the taste of my childhood – including the garbanzo bean soup. So, I set out on a culinary quest to recreate it. After much experimenting, I did!

It’s super easy and freezes well.  Hope you like it, too.

Kristi’s Garbanzo Bean Soup

1 bag               dry garbanzo beans/chick peas (same thing)

1 large            onion (sweet); diced

1 bag               frozen (or fresh) mixed fresh pepper strips (red, green & yellow); diced 

2 pkgs            Turkey Polish Kielbasa links, fully cooked; sliced into bite-sized pieces (I use Butterball brand – no MSG)

2 boxes         chicken broth (I use Wolfgang Puck’s all natural stock) – 32oz each

1 box              beef broth (Wolfgang’s) – 32oz

1T                    dried parsley

Directions:

1. Soak beans for 3 hrs in a large bowl of water (enough to cover beans while absorbed)

2. Drain beans & discard water

3. Add all ingredients to crock pot and cook for 5hrs on low then 2 hrs on high (or until beans are soft and onions are translucent)

<You can also soak the beans overnight and reduce cooking time to 5 hrs on low>