The New York Times recipe: Chickpea stew with risoni (orzo) and mustard greens

Chickpeas are front and centre in this vegetable soup, which gets just a little chew from risoni. You don’t have to use the mustard greens if you don’t like them or can’t find them. Just about any greens you have — spinach, rocket, kale — can take their place.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

1 small fennel bulb or 2 celery stalks, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

Pinch of chilli flakes

2 tsp minced fresh rosemary (optional)

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (or water)

1 (420g) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

¾ cup roughly chopped cherry or grape tomatoes

½ cup wholemeal or regular risoni

About 150g loosely packed baby mustard greens or spinach

Salt and black pepper

Chopped spring onions, for garnish (optional)

¼ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more as needed

Preparation:

Step 1 In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the carrots, fennel or celery, and onion. Cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, chilli flakes and rosemary, if using, and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour in the broth, if using, or water, along with another 2 cups water, and bring to a boil.

Step 2 Once the mixture is boiling, add the chickpeas, tomatoes and risoni. Reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer 10 minutes, or until the risoni is tender. Uncover and stir in the greens, letting them simmer until soft, about 2 minutes.

Step 3 Add more water if you want the mixture to be more soup-like, and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with chopped spring onions (if desired), grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

Serves 4-6

Total time: 25 minutes

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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