Chick Pea Soup with Thyme

 Most summer recipes are all about keeping the cook out of the hot kitchen - grilling outside, cold salads, or do ahead dinners that do not require too much attention. But sometimes you want hot food, despite the heat.

All of you cubicle workers shuddering under that air-conditioning vent know exactly what I'm talking about! Working in a grocery store, in the cheese section no less, my time is spent in refrigerated conditions - checking backstock in the walk-in cooler or stocking the cheese case for hours at a time. Soup is often the best remedy to warm me up! When the urge for inner warmth surfaces, make this soup. It is so easy, so simple, and so incredibly delicious that I have made it four - count 'em - four times in the last two weeks!

While the soup is titled Chick Pea with Thyme, parsley and tomato play equally important roles. Several times I made this soup in the morning before going to work and just let it simmer away as I made coffee, ate breakfast and got read for the day. Pour it into a mason jar and it will still be slightly warm at lunchtime!

A word on the herbs. While fresh really is best, you can use dried thyme but don't bother with dried parsley; it is virtually flavorless. Needles to say, fresh picked cannot be beat!

Chick Pea Soup with Thyme (from Italy Today: The Beautiful Cookbook)

1 cup cooked chick peas
2 cups cooking liquid (or stock)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 -3 plum (roma) tomatoes, sliced in half
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
black pepper
salt

Combine all in sauce pan and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until flavors are well blended. Thin with hot water if soup is too thick.

Hugs!

Recipes currently inspiring me:

Pineapple Ginger Granola Bars at Eats Well With Others
Pesto Bread at The Italian Dish
White Bean Veggie Burgers at Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice