Brothy Chickpea Soup with Swiss Chard — Sicilian Style

This light, brothy chickpea soup is inspired by the flavors of Sicilian cooking. I make a delicate tomato broth infused with garlic, fennel seeds, and a generous pinch of saffron. The chickpeas simmer until soft and creamy, then I stir in fat ribbons of Swiss chard—stems and all, because they taste great and it’s a shame to waste them.

There’s a spirit of Italian cooking I love (and quite frankly, could use more practice in): cucina povera. At its heart, it means using what you have—being resourceful and thoughtful with ingredients.

That mindset shaped this chickpea vegetable soup: simple ingredients, no waste, and time doing the work to meld everything together. Like beans and greens or pasta e fagioli, it’s about great technique transforming humble ingredients into something so much more.

The more I cook, the more I’m surprised by the simple things. More often than not, it’s the unfussy flavors—a good broth, creamy garbanzo beans, and lots of greens—that really fill my cup. Give this recipe a try, and let me know if the same is true for you. I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

here’s how to make this chickpea soup:

A few recipe tips:

Use any greens you have: escarole, Tuscan kale, curly kale, dandelion greens—they all work beautifully in this brothy garbanzo bean soup.

Toss in a parmesan rind or stir in grated parmesan to enrich the broth.

If you can, cook your own dried chickpeas! They’re extra creamy and flavorful, and their cooking liquid helps thicken the broth perfectly.

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