Rock Soup

I found this in Rachel Ray's magazine, but it can also be found on her show's website.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus additional for drizzling
• 3/4 pound chorizo, casings removed and diced I used leftover ham
  
• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed I used baking potatoes
  
• 4 ribs celery, chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 rounded teaspoon (about 1/3 palmful) sweet paprika
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper Omitted
  
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
• 1 15-ounce can diced or stewed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 6 cups chicken broth or stock I used beef broth
  
• 2 cups stale bread , cut into bite-size cubes
• A handful of flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, chopped, optional Omitted.
  

Aired on:

• December 6, 2007

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Yields: 4 servings

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Preparation

Place a medium-size soup pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons EVOO, about 2 turns of the pan. Add the chorizo (or whatever meat you're using) and cook 2-3 minutes, until crispy.

Add the vegetables, paprika, garlic, bay leaf, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 6-7 minutes, until the onions and celery begin to soften.

Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, hot sauce and chicken broth or stock to the pot then raise the heat to bring it up to a bubble. Once bubbling, reduce the heat slightly and simmer the soup until the potatoes are tender, 10-12 minutes (cooking time will depend on the size of the potato pieces). Remove the bay leaf before serving.

To serve, place a handful of bread cubes into each of your serving bowls and drizzle them with some EVOO. Ladle the Rock Soup over the croutons and garnish with some fresh herbs.

Rachael Ray has redeemed herself! This recipe is a keeper in our house for sure. I was so happy to find something that would get rid of our leftover Christmas ham (it was about to go in the trash) as well as some of the other things in our house. Next time, I might or might not omit the chickpeas, since my husband doesn't like them, but he was able to pick them out easily enough.